Posey

You're my best mommy ever!

2011-07-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

I have had a couple of things on my mind recently and maybe what I need to do it hash it out online to be able to get back to sleep. So for those of you who don't know, I am the mother of 2 beautiful children, Elijah and Ariana. I love them so much! Ever since I can remember I have been preparing, planning, and hoping to become a mother. I have known since I was a young girl that my main callings in life would be teacher AND a mother to a (hopefully) big family. Once pregnant with Elijah, I anticipated the transition into motherhood to be fairly natural. I have worked with children most of my life so the general caring of a child did not seem frightening/unknown to me. I figured that one way or another my child would be physically taken care of. Here is what I didn't anticipate:

Raising a child isn't so much about whether or not they are eating, drinking, sleeping, etc
Being a mother will test your abilities to stay calm and focused when you are exhausted, frustrated, and least patient.
Many times--you will make the wrong decision or act in a way that is childish, selfish and/or embarrassing. Not intentionally....but wrong nonetheless.
You are needed by EVERYONE ALL THE TIME! (This includes the husband, dog, cat, etc)
Children are beautiful and forgiving.
At the end of the day, if you have made more good decisions then bad...you had a good day.
You will never stop thinking, planning and preparing for their future. Most events throughout the day cause you to wonder about "how this will turn out?" OR "Will this help them in the future?" OR "Have I ruined them for life?" OR "How can I do this better for them next time?"
It doesn't matter how much money is being put into the bank account. There is still more to pay for so as a mother I am always trying to think up ways to supplement the income, stretch the dollar, and put money away....all without making everyone feeling penniless or poor.
When I am at my best, I am a great teacher to my children. When I am at my worst...I am a horrible example!
I don't always have the answer. I don't always know what to do. I am not always proud of my actions. I am never done being a mom.

This list could go on and on.

The reason this has been on my mind is the other day, I was hanging out with the kiddos in their bedroom and it became time for the cleaning of the room to happen. I very nicely asked my children to get cleaning. (We clean all the time so they knew what was coming and what I expected from them...right?) They put 1 or 2 toys away and then started to get distracted. So again I reminded that they should be cleaning up their toys. I offered some suggestions of what needed to be cleaned and told them to get moving. Again, 1-2 toys got put away and they got distracted. At this point I could feel my level of frustration rising. This was not my mess and I should not be expected to clean it all by myself. In a stronger tone I reminded my children that we should be cleaning their room and to do it NOW! I think you can see where this is going. Eventually I told my kids (in more of a yelling fashion) that if they would not do it when I asked them nicely that I would yell...and I did. I through a grown-up tantrum. I used a few (semi) mean words and threatened to throw the toys away, etc. until the room finally got cleaned.

Later that night, I had time to really reflect on my actions and I was reminded that while I did begin with the right intentions...it had gone sour because my expectations for my little kiddos was too high. Elijah is 4 and Ariana is 2. I should have been able to find a way to calmly get them to do what I asked. I should have offered more specific directions. I should have taken time to settle down before involving yelling because my kids don't deserve "mean mommy." I will cut myself a little slack because I didn't erupt right away and because "being a mother will test your abilities to stay calm and focused when you are exhausted, frustrated, and least patient." Aside from all of that...I should have reacted differently.

So while I was reflecting on this moment and feeling like i am just the worst mom ever. I was reminded of what Ariana said to me not even 30 minutes after this bedroom ordeal. We were eating lunch together and she leaned in to me and said, "you're my best mommy ever!" I had just yelled at her and yet she still thinks that I am her best mommy ever. That warms my heart.

"Children are beautiful and forgiving"

My secret plan to get new flooring...

2011-04-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of looking at your old, dirty, floors? Do you wish that you could upgrade but just do not have the money to do so? I have the solution for you!

Here is how I did it:
1) Puncture the water main immediately under your house
2) Crack the concrete underneath your flooring (a small hairline fracture will do the job)
3) Wait as the water slowly gets absorbed by the plastic moisture barrier, padding underneath the laminate flooring and ultimately begins causing visible water damage to your (not so old) laminate flooring.

Once the leak has been detected you will have no option but to tear out the flooring, dig into the concrete, repair the pipe, pour new concrete and finally REPLACE YOUR OLD, DIRTY FLOORS! WAHOO!

True story! Trust me...it works! I am living it right now as we speak.

On the upside, at least I do not have to pay for all of the repairs. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Felt like a teenager today

2011-04-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

When was the last time that you woke up in bed snuggled next to your husband WITHOUT kids climbing on you or asking you for food/movies/etc? This morning I woke up slowly. I got the stretch. It was past 7:00 am.

That was nice....

One other comment. I was up last night planning for Disneyland when my brother asked me to help him find the same deal that I got. I checked online and in just 2 days my trip has gone from $1700 to $2000. I am SO grateful that I purchased when I did! I can't believe that airline prices can change so much overnight. That seems just mean and unfair!

Here is what I am thinking

2011-04-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

With today being General Conference...I spent a good part of my morning planted on the couch listening to the inspired words of our prophets. In between children climbing all over me, coloring pictures (given to Elijah by the primary) and poking Aaron in an effort to get him to stop snoring I was impressed by the "in-tune" nature of their words in relation to my life. First there was the tithing talk. See Aaron and I were really good about paying tithing until shortly after we had Elijah. Financial it was a bit of a transition for us and we missed a couple of months. When we went in to our tithing settlement that year our Bishop did not offer much encouragement. Instead I left feeling kind of bullied and reprimanded. I know I shouldn't let that impact my choices. I KNOW that paying tithing is a blessing. I KNOW! But when times are tough and you have a husband who is not used to paying 10% of his income to the church it can be kind of a struggle to have the faith necessary to do so. So the tithing talk was good for me...truly inspired and needed.

Then there was the talk about temples. I love the temple. Being raised in the church has instilled in me the wonderful nature of temples--if I remain worthy, I will be able to live with my family forever! As I am getting older and I unfortunately get to experience the unfair, randomness of life I am comforted by that thought. I can be with my family forever. As people pass I know that I can continue my relationship with them after this life. Also, I know that the relationship that i have with Aaron is better because we were married in the temple. We are both (mostly) working towards the same goal. For me, this means to live my life in a way that is pleasing to Heavenly Father. I want to always be someone that he can be proud of--making positive choices, helping others, teaching my children correct principles, doing my best to follow Him, etc. Aaron's details may vary slightly but together we can be better overall. Also, because we were married in the temple we are STUCK. TOGETHER. FOREVER! This eternal perspective makes a difference when we are having disagreements.

One other thought I had about the temple was...why don't I go more often!? Too often I let things get in the way of going to the temple (that is 40 minutes away). I need to work harder at this...

One of my favorite talks overall was the one about taking the time to form relationships, spending time together, listening and acting on the advice of our spouse. (Okay...maybe that wasn't the intended message but that is what I took out of it) I appreciated the story of the husband who came home to the wife handwashing all of the laundry because the washer was broken. His immediate response was to fix the washer in an effort to help his wife but she instead asked him to go and play with his children. He did and enjoyed the time he had to be with his children but said he would not have remembered that moment if it were not for what happened later in the evening when his little girl gave him a big hug and said he was her "best friend" That was touching to me because so often I feel like I am running errands, cleaning house, doing the "responsible things"...maybe I should have more moments being a true friend to my family. I just love the sweet/crazy little personalities blooming in Elijah and Ariana. I hope they will always look to be as a friend (who sometimes has to be a little mean providing direction/discipline)

On another note..I am always getting weeping when I hear about couples leaving secret messages for each other (on a mirror, in scriptures, etc.) My question is this...WHERE ARE MY SECRET MESSAGES?! Aside from the occasional flirting...my husband is lacking in the "secret message department..." Does this get better with age? Will Aaron turn 30 and all of a sudden have the urge to be sweet via messaging? Any advice/insight on this subject would be great!

Final note: DISNEYLAND MAY31-JUNE 4! I cannot wait. Any pointers?

Life tends to unfold itself as it should

2011-03-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

All day, I have been reminded of my brother in-laws tattoo that says something along the lines of, 'life tends to unfold itself as it should." As I am getting older and settling into adulthood, I can't help but to agree with that quote. I feel like I have spent so much of my time trying to plan. High School was about planning my future--I wanted to be married by 21, have kids at 23, finish college...etc. Once I had Elijah (at 23 by the way) it only felt natural to move out of an apartment and into our first home (and our own mortgage) which would be temporary because in 4-5 years we would sell and move into a bigger place...

It has been the moments where plans have fallen through that I have seen the Lords hand really visible in my life. I am a music conductor. When I am conducting music I get to create music by calling upon individuals in the ensemble to produce a particular sound. For instance...if I would like to hear more saxophone I could reach into the ensemble and call upon to saxophone section to play louder/fuller. I can also move my hands in a manner that would ask everyone in the ensemble to play shorter, softer, faster, slower, etc. I like to tell my students that I am the puppet master and they are my puppets. If they are following my correctly, the sound that the audience hears will be a representation of the musical image that I have in my head.

I mention this because I feel like the moments that I am letting life unfold or reveal itself as it should are the moments that Heavenly Father becomes the conductor of my "song"

When I got pregnant with Elijah, I had not yet finished my bachelor's degree at WWU. I had every intention of finishing my student teaching after he was born but would I really finish? The day came to say good-bye to my new baby and to enter the classroom--it was heartbreaking. I felt like I was fighting everyone of my instincts, "how could I abandon my new baby? Was this what I was really supposed to be doing? A couple of days into the program and I was given the confirmation that everything was as it should be. I needed to finish and so I did. What a huge blessing this has been in my life. Because I fought to finish, I have been able to see Heavenly Father open up so many doors for me. I believe that Heavenly Father created a teaching position for me. I have the opportunity to teach band/orchestra mon-thurs mornings from 7:30-8:40. While this may not seem like much to everyone else, it is perfect for me. This position gives me the opportunity to show the world what I can do as a teacher. It reminds me of the sacrifices I made years ago and it helps me remember what a blessing it is to work and then come home to be the mother of my children. I feel like I get the best of both worlds--I am a stay at home mom who works in the mornings/evenings teaching music.

Aaron and I are coming upon change. I can feel it...the air in the room is different, we are being prepared for something new. I am not sure what this means. I don't know if we will continue living in our little condo in lynnwood or if we will move. I am not sure if aaron will continue working at his job. I can tell you one thing...this time, I am ready to let Heavenly Father take control. Instead of making plans, I want to follow plans. If Heavenly Father feels like we need to be called upon to do something else...I hope that Aaron and I are prepared enough step it up.

What will this song sound like? ...I guess we will just have to see.

How did I miss summer?

2010-09-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

After finally entering my blog site after what felt like a couple of weeks....it occurred to me that I missed the ENTIRE SUMMER! WHOOPS! I guess that I have been so busy having a good time that it just got overlooked.

We spent some time at the ocean with our extended family. It was great! We went to Pacific Beach on the Coast...we even brought our dog! Needless to say, Baxter really enjoyed himself playing fetch like a crazy person and chasing after our kite. I think that if Baxter had the choice, he would like on the beach every moment of his life!

Aaron was "master" of the kite

Elijah found cool sand bugs

Ariana got dirty!

...Look at those cute kids eating crackers!

Elijah and cousin Brenna building a castle. ...or Elijah knocking it down!

The kids had fun too! It was fun to see them interact with each other and with the rest of the family.

We also spent some time at Greenlake where Ariana showed off her cool dance moves! And Elijah shower us how "frog-like" he really is!

...more summer pics and fun to come!

What am I grateful for?

2010-05-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

On days like today, (when you want to sell your kid on ebay for being an ABSOLUTE STINKER...not to mention LIVING in time-out and crying more than a newborn baby!) I think it is important to remember what we are grateful for. Why do I continue to do this day in and day out (aside from my genetic obligation)

1. Today Elijah got our attention chanting, "okay, quiet everyone" then proceeded to clap three times followed by a fast spin/jump/fall dance move! (Really cute!)

2. While playing play-dough Elijah DESTROYED my very cool circle shaped piece of artwork. (covered in a neat diamond montage) I then walked away saying that if he was going to destroy what I was playing with, I didn't want to play anymore. I think Elijah could tell that I was a little sad so he came over to me, gave me a really big hug and said, "I am so sorry mom! I Love you!"

3. One of my favorite "mindless x-box games" is zuma. I was playing for a couple of minutes when Eli came by and wanted to play. My 3 year old ROCKED IT! I can't believe how well he could use the controller and match the colors. I am SO PROUD of him!

4. Ariana and I had some alone time this morning (the boys were on a trip into Aaron's work). I am so in love with that little girl. She is learning so much everyday. She does really cute dance moves, she smiles BIG, her "language" is fun and interesting to watch (she gestures as she speak too...very cute!) She is finally old enough to spend some time in Nursery at church. I cannot believe how fast she is growing. I am so thankful that I have this sweet little GIRL!

5. Sometimes the kids tag team on aaron by climbing up on his lap and taking turns head-butting him! HAHAHA!

6. When I really needed a break today, Aaron let me sneak away to soak in a bath. I grabbed my i-pod, turned on Norah Jones and read a magazine. Sometimes it just helps to step away from the "yuck" and soak. Thanks Aaron for being such a sweetheart!

7. Oh! I also got to sleep in until 7:30 am this morning! That was nice...

8. There was a potluck at church this afternoon...I am so thankful that I didn't have to add, "cook dinner" to the crazy of my day.

9. This morning Aaron and I decided to stay home for part of church to give Eli a much needed nap (before a 3 hour church session) When I told Eli how this was going down, initially he lost it. He was really mad! Finally he calmed down and I was sitting with him helping him to fall asleep. The crying stopped but he had this sad little frown that would sneak up occasionally with some sad whimpers. When I asked him what was wrong, he said that he just really wanted to go to primary. I am grateful that Elijah loves church so much that he would be sad about missing it. (sounds kind of weird I know but...I would hate to force him to go) I then promised him that if he took a quick little nap we could make it to church just in time for primary.

10. Have I mentioned how much I love my little family?! Aaron and I work so well together. I love him so much! I am grateful that we have the opportunity to raise these two little "aaron clones" together. They really are cute, fun, good kids (despite the occasional yuck!) It is such a neat experience to see both of them grow and mature and learn. Yeah for family!

....it really is true what they say. If you spend a couple of minutes focusing on all of the things that you are grateful for, you forget about the other stuff. (well...not forget but...you know what I mean) What are you grateful for?

Weathering the storm (almost)

2010-04-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, Elijah was given a cup in primary which he filled with dirt and planted 2 small sunflower seeds, Following church this day, the cup was given to me and we told Elijah that we would water it and wait for it to grow. After about 1 hour Elijah came running back to the cup looking for the plant. It had not grown yet. This surprised him. I told him that plants need water, sunshine, soil, and time to grow. We cannot expect this little seed to burst through the soil after merely a few hours/minutes. I told him that we would continue to take care of it and eventually it would grow. A few days passed and before we knew it the plant had grown tall. So tall in fact that it was beginning to lean to one side (in search of the sun) so we put it outside.

Then there was a big windstorm...

The cup was knocked to the ground. The plant was torn from the cup and left to die. Unfortunately as this was happening, my family and I went out of town so we did not discover the plant for a couple of days following the windstorm. Elijah saw it first. He called to me and showed me what had happened. I quickly picked up the plant (which was limp and obviously dying/dead) put it back in the cup, added new soil and water and prepared Elijah for the worst. I told him that we would try everything that we could to help the plant get better but that it was probably not going to make it. Sometimes plants die. The poor little plants were hanging lifelessly over the sides of the cup--I thought it was too late. This plant could not weather the storm, it was just to small and lacked the support it needed to grow.

To my surprise, after a little TLC and some time, the plants started to perk up. After about 1 hour the stem of the plants had gone from withered to "fattening" but the leaves still appeared dead. After about 3 hours the leaves began to take their regular shape. After 4 hours the plant once again stood tall, leaves plump and in tact, once again leaning in search of the sun. This time, Elijah and I quickly grabbed some small sticks, placed them in the dirt near the base of the plant and attached the plants carefully to the sticks. This was to act as a support system for the plants. It would help them to gorw up straight and tall,

It may seem silly that I am recounting this story. But what a huge effect it has had on me. How often do we feel that we cannot weather the storm? Have you ever been thrown around by external conditions and left to "die" feeling only that you are too small? Not ready? Unprepared?

Just like this plant, we too can be saved. It is never too late. Given a little TLC and some time we can once again grow strong in search of the sun. This time, we know better. This time, we will grasp at a support system to help us to stand tall and grow upright.

This plant was intended as a lesson on testimonies/faith in God. I have always enjoyed the section in the Book of Mormon that relates our Faith to a small seed. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/alma/32 . Never before has this lesson had such a huge impact on my heart. I feel so strongly now that once our faith has begun to grow--it may be knocked down not because it was a bad seed (because, remember it had begun to grow strong) but because of external forces. But it is never too late. We can be saved.

Crazy Day!

2010-03-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

It is funny to me that when the sunshine comes out, everyone heads for the door! ...myself included! Aaron announced to me last night that the weather was going to be great so immediately we started planning for our day. Zoo followed by Ikea followed by...? Now if we could move a little faster in the morning to get out of the house a little quicker. (that would be golden!)

By 10:00 we were on our way to the zoo. We found street parking (avoided the parking fees), have a membership pass, and brought our lunch so all in all this was a relatively free outing! WAHOO! All of us had a blast. Because of the sun all of the animals were outside moving around and doing cool animal things. We saw a HUGE brown bear just chillin' next to the water. SO COOL! Then we saw the giraffe, zebra and other safari animals out and about (usually when we go they are hiding) That was neat! Towards the end of our trip we stopped at the outside play area. It was cute to see Elijah and Ariana play together (sort of) They both love the spider web and the caves!

Once we were done with the zoo we headed directly to Ikea on a mission. A few weeks back I bought some items for our bedroom that did not work. I wanted to return them before my 90 days were up. The plan was to eat lunch and then let Elijah play in the smaland (sp?) with the balls while aaron and I did some shopping. Well, Ikea was packed! So...no play area for Elijah (the wait was way too long) :-( This turned our fun shopping trip into aaron and I shopping while the kids went crazy in the cart. Let me explain... Some kids get quiet when they are tired. My kids get crazy, unpredictable and needy. Fun to watch! (most of the time) My favorite part was when Elijah starts wiggling like crazy announcing that he has to poop. (We had just come back from a potty trip) Once I asked him if he wanted to go to the bathroom he freaks out! (Elijah is afraid that public pottys will flush him if he sits on them) (In his defense, they did once! ...a story for another time) So to avoid the poop Eli begs Aaron to let him sit on his shoulders. He gets on the shoulders and he is still wiggling like a crazy person but...the potty trip was avoided! Overall it was a fun and exhausting trip.

Now home. If only it was bedtime and I could put the kids immediately to bed. I am tired!

How do "super mom's" do it?

2010-03-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

Super moms! You know the type. You walk into their house and there is organization emanating from every angle of the house. There are chore charts, FHE charts, the floors are clean, the walls are spotless and there is a mysterious sweet smell filling the rooms. HOW DO THEY DO IT!?

I try. I feel like I am always cleaning, cooking, folding, entertaining, cleaning, cooking, folding....etc. and to top it off I am always attempting to think of new ideas to make my house run smoother but still, at the end of the day laundry is spilling out of the basket waiting to be folded, dishes are in the sink waiting to be cleaned up from dinner and don't even get me started on the bathrooms! AH! We haven't even touched on paying the bills AND dropping them off in the mailbox.

My question is this...is there ever a moment where a mom looks at day to day life and says,"I've got this all figured out!?"

Don't get me wrong. My kids are great! Elijah is a good kid (most of the time) and Ariana is well...cute. Also, my house isn't disgusting. it is mostly clean but...it is not "super mom" clean. I am just too tired/lazy/would rather do other things to put in the time necessary for this organization. Maybe there is something I am missing. Does anyone have a quick trick to become a mom superhero?

Welcome Back Rosanna!

2010-02-28T08:04:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking lately that time is passing so quickly! My baby girl (who when I last posted was just months old) is now walking, talking and picking on her older brother! And Elijah...well don't even get me started on how much he has grown. I am afraid that if I don't start writing my thoughts down then I will forget them. So here we go, back to the blogging world. If you would like to read, please do! Leave comments as well, that would be fun!

So, after a full afternoon of playing and running errands, Aaron and I thought it would be fun to go out to Olive Garden. We realized that the last time we were in the restaurant Eli was weeks old. Elijah was born on November 7th and for my November 29 birthday Aaron and I went there to celebrate. That was the first time that we realized just how much our life had changed by adding a baby to the mix. I spent the most of the time in the bathroom nursing the baby and aaron sat by himself at the table. When I could, I would come sit down and try to eat but...then the baby would get sad :-( Well last night, was not much different! Initially, things were great. Elijah helped to order his food and Ariana was coloring (and eating her crayons) but then Elijah had to go potty. I got up and helped him to the potty. When we got back, Ariana needed to nurse. I immediately grabbed her and went (again) to the bathroom. As we got back to the table, Elijah decides to halt eating bread (the main course had not come yet) and wait for his food. This made him complain that his tummy was hurting because he was, "so hungry" I told him to eat bread but he wanted to wait. Ariana was getting so tired she now had decided she needed to sit on me and spread her body out to cover every area of free space on my body! (Have you ever tried to eat with a LARGE growth covering your body...it is interesting!) Finally the food comes and the first thing that Elijah does is complain that it looks like there is pepper on his shrimp (we special ordered shrimp with the fettuccine because Eli needed shrimp) Oh, that is Elijah new thing, if he sees anything that looks like black specks on his food, he refuses to eat it claiming that it is "spicy" We assured him that it was just leaves and not pepper but aaron (being a nice dad) begin to wipe off the shrimp stripping it of all "spicy" Now, Elijah is not eating! AHH! He is looking very closely at his noodles and dissecting every ingredient. Ariana has stopped eating as well and is once again sitting with me. All the while, Aaron and I are trying to eat our food quickly. Finally food is almost gone (except for Elijah's which remains untouched) and it is time for boxes. The nice waitress takes each of our plates one at a time and puts it in boxes for us...and then she gets to Eli's. He starts crying! (I think he thought she was going to steal his food) So we just take a box for his. The trip ended with me paying and Elijah, once again, going potty! So, here is my question to you...where did the romance of a restaurant go? Aaron and I used to go out on dates to Olive Garden. We would take our time, have interesting conversations, and just enjoy each others company. Never did we leave unsatisfied or questioning our decision to come. Last night the final question as we were leaving the restaurant, "was it worth it?!"

Of course it was worth it. It was interesting and fun in its own right. Together we make a great family and aaron and I make a great team! Sometimes I just wish there were more of those, "dating moments"

Anyways, thanks for listening quiet abyss of the internet!

ok, I know it has been awhile but hey...I am still adjusting!

2009-03-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

We are doing great! Ariana is growing like crazy. Elijah is talking non-stop and mom and dad are well....still hanging out!

Here is a new picture of Ariana. More to follow...If you want the full album, send me your e-mail address and I will send you a copy.

Ariana update

2009-01-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

First things first...Ariana! I have been meaning to do a quick post about the arrival of ariana, and the initial "meet and greet" with big brother elijah.

December 20, 2008 (aaron's birthday) everyone is panicked about the potential snow/winter storm headed to washington state (my mother, who is staying with us, included) Because I had been having some serious contractions the night before and I was already 3-4 cm dialated my mother greets me first thing in the morning saying aaron and I needed to run to the store and purchase some medical supplies just in case she had to deliver the baby at our house (don't worry she is a labor and delivery nurse) so aaron and I head out to the store amid the snow and yuck to purchase lubricant, gloves, etc. (YIPEE!!) With my mom watching elijah we then decided to have a little "mini date" and do some birthday celebrating/christmas shopping, etc

Instead of fighting traffic, we decided to park the car and walk from store to store. So we walked, and walked, and walked... Then picked up my mom and elijah to go out to dinner (this is when the storm kicked in) We started our dinner at Tony Romas with only a little snow falling and leI ft with snow covering the cars/road. Once we got home, I noticed that I was starting to get a little bit more uncomfortable. The contractions were still coming, my back was aching and I was TIRED. So I head to the bedroom to soak in a bath while aaron settles in with his x-box for some "boy time" After my bath I attempted to sleep...at this point I noticed that I would sleep for a few minutes, wake up to a contractions, sleep, contraction...etc. After a while I realize that I should be timing. Once I stood up the contractions got harder and closer together. NO TIMING NECESSARY. With the storm in progress (and NASTY roads outside) aaron and I decide to head to the hospital nearest our house (not the one that I was scheduled to go to...) My mom, worried that we might get stuck, checks to see how far along I am before leaving the house (5 cm). Now we head to the hospital...

Aaron chains up the car, I grab our bags and together we trudge in the snow to Stevens Hospital in Lynnwood. NO ONE was on the roads, it was quiet, dark, and deserted . (11:30-ish at night) Once we arrive at the hospital, everything moves quickly. We checked in triage at 5 cm. 45 minutes later I was at 7 cm and by 3:09 am Ariana was born!! No time for the epidural (I FELT EVERYTHING)

Despite the yucky conditions outside, it was nice to have ariana the way we did. It was too yucky for all of our friends and family to come to the hospital right away so aaron and I had some nice quiet time with the baby and when morning came, aaron picked up Elijah and my mom for a quick meet and greet. Eli was AWESOME!! He came into the room and immediately asked to see "little sister" He then came and sat on my lap with the baby, gently pet her fuzzy head and gave her nice soft kisses! WAY TO GO ELI!!

Now, 2 weeks later, Ariana weighs 7 lbs 15 oz, is 20.25 inches tall and is BEAUTIFUL!! We just love her so much!

Welcome to the world Ariana Noelle

2008-12-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

Ariana Noelle Lampano born 12/21/2008 at 3:09 am. SHE is 7 lbs 10 oz and 19.5 inches tall.

And the good news is...

2008-12-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

I had an appointment with my doctor yesterday and learned that I am already 1 1/2 cent. dialated!! WAHOO! I also got to see my little squished baby. He/she looks a lot like elijah...chubby cheeks and all!

In the ultrasound we also learned that the baby is BREACH!!! Thats right, baby lampano has decided to come out butt first. From now on, baby will be known as shamu.

December is here

2008-12-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that December is actually here. I am so excited to bring in the holiday season. Eli is finally old enough to understand/get excited about santa claus, the christmas trees, decorations, etc. Not to mention--it is a great opportunity to teach him about the nativity story.

okay...and with december comes the birth of baby #2 (hopefully). Soon my family will be a little larger and definately more chaotic!! Aaron and I are making the final arrangements for the delivery while attempting to prepare elijah for "big brother day." Big brother day will be a celebration (with cake and goodies) for elijah on the day that the baby is born.

I am feeling a little anxious, excited, nervous, terrified, etc. for this new arrival. I am so excited to finally meet this new little spirit that has been taking residence inside my belly for the last 9 months. But...I am nervous about the adjustment to two children. AND the delivery of this baby. I just hope/pray that everything will be smooth and complication free.

Wish us luck!!

Elijah's morning routine

2008-11-16T08:09:00.001-08:00

He get to watch cartoons in the morning...(Today was Shrek)

If you look past Eli you can barely see him horsey, fishy, doggie, and balloon. How could anyone watch morning cartoons without their precious "fishy?"

Here he his pulling himself away from Shrek long enough to look at the camera.

Here is the beautiful tummy... (6 weeks before babies arrival)

2008-11-16T08:04:00.001-08:00

ok...not my best picture but it WAS almost midnight. Just try to focus on the tummy, NOT on my yucky appearence.

Elijah is Two Years Old

2008-11-12T20:06:00.001-08:00

Well, it is official, Elijah is now two years old! Never did I think that this day would come so quickly (and I have a new one on the brink of arrival...) Time sure does fly when you are having fun!

To celebrate Eli's B-day, Aaron and I took him out to see Madagascar 2. It was so much fun! Eli, geared up with popcorn, stayed in his seat the whole time, and only turned around twice to talk to the people around him.

Then we took him to Red Robin to enjoy all of the greasy goodness!! He enjoyed a dinner of chicken tenders, french fries, mozz. sticks, and soda! (Good parenting huh?!) And to top off the birthday goodness, the red robin gang sang him the famous happy birthday song. (He was only a little scared for this)

Well, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH! We Love you!

New Elijah Pics

2008-10-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

If you would like to check out Elijah's newest pictures... go to the following website:
http://smilestore.picturepeople.com/pn/tpp/home

E-mail address: rlampano@comcast.net
Password: elijah01

WHAT!!!???

2008-10-02T10:56:00.001-07:00

WHAT!!? 89 days to go? I could have sworn that I had at least 100 days before this baby is "supposed" to be born. I mean, sure...the stomach IS getting bigger and I might be down to my "every 2 weeks" check-ups with my doctor but... 89 days!! COME ON!!

No really, I am very excited that the baby #2 will be joining my family in the next 3-ish months. I just have SOOO much to do before it comes. I don't even have a name picked out. Aaron and I can't really agree on anything yet and... HOW are you supposed to choose names when you don't even know the gender. (Maybe we should just call it #2...that is not gender specific AT ALL!)

Any suggestions?

Ode to Daddys everywhere

2008-09-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

There is something special about the days Daddy stays home with Elijah. When I come back there is always something different about the way that he looks.....a new sparkle in his eye maybe?

Or the look of a baby celebrity..."too cool for mommy?"

Maybe it is the fact that he has grown up a little during the 2-3 hours of my absence...?

Or could it possible be the fact that daddy dresses him in TOO SMALL bat pants with an ALSO TOO SMALL truck hoodie? LOOK AT THAT OUTFIT!!! Way to go daddy! We love you!

Check out my new slideshow pics!

2008-09-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

AND... some random pics of a trip to the zoo.

Toddler bed sleeping, prayer saying Elijah

2008-08-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of Elijah....and amazed at how quickly he is growing. He really is a big boy now!!

In my efforts to get ready for baby #2, I decided it was time to get Eli adjusted to sleeping in a big boy bed. So we went to goodwill and found a really cute IKEA bed for $7, bought new big boy bedding (including the ever-cool pillow) and changed the room around to make a special "eli space" After everything was set up--I tried naptime in the bed (VERY SUCCESSFUL), and then bedtime. To my surprise, the transition to the new bed was very smooth. Elijah LOVES his new bed!! It is very cute...

One a new note....Eli has begun talking LIKE CRAZY! He copies everything that we say, and he is pretty good at saying most of it. With this I thought, "Oh wouldn't it be fun if he could say his own prayers!" So we tried. I tell him what to say, and Elijah copies me (in his very proud "big boy voice") He is so proud of himself for saying his own prayers. He smiles BIG everytime that we finish. Good Job Eli!

It occured to me the other day, that I am not recording this new pregnancy as well as I should be. With Eli, I had a special "belly book" to record my thoughts/changes, AND I always knew exactly how far along I was, the growth of the baby etc... With this one, NOTHING! Poor baby #2... With that said, let me record a few of my thoughts.

I am officially (almost) 23 weeks pregnant. We have had our ultrasound and still do not know the sex of the baby--although my "mother instinct" is saying a....Girl? I say this because there are a lot of real differences between this baby and Elijah. This baby moves around quite a bit (especially at night), my cravings are very different, and I am carrying this one differently. (higher? lower? I can't remember...) As far as names are concerned, nothing really set yet. I like the name Ava Corene if it is a girl, aaron likes Leonitus if it is a boy. Needless to say, no agreement on the name. Any suggestions?

I love being pregnant, and I feel great. To tell you the truth, aside from getting bigger every second, I forget that I am pregnant...until the baby moves or I have to pee.

International Kite Festival

2008-08-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

We headed to Long Beach over the weekend to attend the International Kite Festival. WOW! What a cool event! (Aside from the LONG drive...) I have never seen so many kites in my life AND the variety/size of the kites was amazing. One gentleman was flying 3 fighter plane kites simultaneously. It looked like the real thing--he could do some neat tricks.

Aside from the kites, there were the normal coast activities available--horses, sand, waves, sun, etc. Elijah had so much fun playing in the water. He would grab a handful of sand/mud, run as fast as he could to the nearest wave and throw it in, then he would quickly run away from the water (to avoid getting swallowed by the BIG waves). He has also recently discovered the joys of running fast. So Eli loved just running on the sand (chasing grandma/grandpa).

With his current fascination of horses and riding them, we took him to the look at the horses. The owner was nice enough to bring out a small horse (or mule...) named 'Cody." Eli got to sit on the horse and pet him. It was very cool! Next time, we will do pony rides...

Elijah's modeling at its best

2008-08-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

Elijah "cheesing" for the camera

Back from Texas and ready to blog!

2008-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned for an exciting post about my texas trip....

A Good Laugh!!

2008-07-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

I got this as a forward from my aunt. If you have already seen it...sorry. I guess that you will have to laugh your way through it again.

A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall. (By Shannon Popkin)

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we're in the library,the grocery store or at a drive-thru window. People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just-turned-3-year-old. And you never have to ask himto turn up the volume. It's always fully cranked. There've been several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-so-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week at Costco. Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called,so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening,this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the last stall: "Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on DA toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonnago stinkies on the potty?" At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full ... 4? 5? Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity. Cade continued, "Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh ... Mommy!I'm trying to see in dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl,Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!" I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming new born when you need her? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting. Trying to! divert him, I said, "Why don't you lookin Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy We'll both have some!" "No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies. Oh! Mommy!" He started to gag at this point. "Uh oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy,doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!" As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall. I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone. "Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!" He grunted as he tried to pull me off. Now I couldhear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count thefeet outside my door. "Oh, are you wooking underdere, Mommy? You wooking under DA door? What were you wooking at, Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?" More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation. "Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now,Mommy." He started pounding on the door. "Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!" I saw that my "wait 'em out" plan was unraveling I sheepishly opened the door, and found standing outside my stall, twenty to thirty ladies crowded around the stall, all smiling and starting to applaud. My first thought was complete embarrassment, then I thought, "Where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my dignity and privacy?" But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids ,Michigan , where she no longer uses public restroom

Calling all POTENTIAL sax/flute/string students...!

2008-07-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been dying for some private instruction on the saxophone, flute, or strings your prayers have been answered!!! Beginning August 1, 2008 I, (a certified music instructor), will being moving into a studio space at Mill Music in Lynnwood to teach private lessons. Do not wait! Reserve your space today by calling me at 360-820-1430. (all ages/ability levels welcome) Remember, It is never too early OR late to learn an instrument!

Do you ever just wake up cranky?

2008-07-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Alright I admit....I did stay up pretty late last night playing video games. (well one game in particular) AND I was forced to sleep on the wrong side of the bed due to aaron already sleeping ON MY SIDE!!! I guess it is just going to be one of those days. Maybe I should lock myself in the bathroom, take a llloooonnnngggg bubble bath, do a little reading, and shave my legs. Wouldn't that be great!? If only I wasn't a stay at home mom "forced" to clean house, cook food, take care of the baby...etc. So much to do, so little time!

Please don't abandon my blog...I promise that I will write!

2008-07-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

While I have been silently making blog posts in my mind...unfortunatly those posts did not make it to this page. I apologize and promise to recommit. I swear I have a good excuse though....I have been insanely busy, out of town, tired, pregnant, mother to a toddler, etc....

Without recaping all of the news thoughout the last month, let me touch on a couple of exciting new changes in my life. First of all: I have officially survived the first trimester!! (**heroic music ringing in the background) I am currently 16 weeks pregnant (I think) and due to have baby number two on December 30, 2008. To make this the ultimate Christmas gift, Aaron and I have decided not to find out the sex of the baby until the big day. So, send in your votes and together we can await the arrival of baby BOY OR GIRL Lampano.

Next: WE GOT A NEW CAR!!!! WAHOO!!!! WIPEE!!! HORRAY!!!!! Aaron and I are finally retiring the "hand me down minivan" given to us by the in-laws. On Monday we purchased a Chrysler Town and Country LIMITED edition. This car has all the bells and whistles: heated heats, remote everything, rear climate controls, built-in latch system for the car seats, leather interior, captain seats, etc...
The best part is this: the KBB value on this car is$10,000-$11,000 but aaron and I paid a happy $7500! The car is in great condition (engine included) and we are feeling really blessed to have found such a deal.

Finally, Aaron, Elijah, Baxter, and I went on a really fun camping trip to Deception Pass Last week. Without going into too much details I will say it was very fun! Eli was great and the weather was awesome! Pictures of this trip can be found on the right side of the blog in a slideshow.

One last thought/question: I am thinking about beginning the potty training (I shouldn't ignore Eli's cues any longer) any suggestions???

Indoor Camping

2008-06-02T20:28:00.001-07:00

Elijah loves to play in tunnels! We have one of those "play tunnels" and Eli will always pull it out and say, "tunnel?" I will then ask if he wants to play in his tunnel and he will respond with a very energetic "YES!"

While playing with his tunnel this afternoon, I got the idea of pulling out our tent and playing with it in the living room. Needless to say a very cool idea...and Eli loved it! This then progressed into pulling out the flashlights to make shadow puppets, attaching the tunnel to the tent, and even making smores. Such a fun afternoon!

Life in "Lampano Land"

2008-06-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Being a teacher--I am lucky enough to bring home germs, germs, and more germs. While I try to avoid it as best I can, I still manage to bring the "yucky" home which occassionally results in sick.

Well, we got sick--all of us. It started with the stomach flu (me--of course) and migrated to strep throat (aaron) and ended with a nasty, nasty head cold (elijah/me) Boy o' boy! When the sickness begins it is not fun. I feel as though we have been living in a daze for the past couple of weeks just trying to keep our heads above water.

And wouldn't you know, aaron missed a full week of work (he claims he is going to become domestic now. A "stay at home dad") Elijah missed a bunch of days with the babysitter (sorry sara) and I was left working over-time trying to get my elementary students ready for their final orchestra concert. No longer did a routine exist in our house--chaos...ALL CHAOS!

I am happy to say that we survived! And what did I learn?

1) Aaron is an incredible dad/husband. He is so supportive to me. House cleaning, taking care of Elijah, shopping, laundry, etc can sometimes be overwhelming especially when I am sick. For a number of days, I was forced to lie in my bed, lights out with nothing but tylenol at my side. I was a little worried about how the "house" was going to survive without me but I trusted aaron and his ability as a father. He treats Eli well. They did not spend every moment watching tv, eating candy (I think) and in the end, Elijah was taken care of, the laundry was done (sort of) and there was food in the cupboards. (aaron is a really good cook). This was a HUGE burden lifted off of me while I was trying to get better.

2) Prayers are awesome! Sometimes Eli has a difficult time sleeping--whether it be bad dreams, or sickness. There was a couple of nights when I found myself rocking Eli in his bedroom trying to calm him down. I remembered what my mom used to do for me when I was a little girl. She would hold me close and say a prayer to Heavenly Father on my behalf. I tried this with Eli. I told him that I was going to say a prayer (and explained to him how Heavenly Father would help him) and then I held him close and said a prayer on his behalf. It was amazing to me how quickly Elijah's mood changed following the prayer. He calmed down very quickly and within minutes he was ready to lie back down in his own bed to go to sleep. WAHOO!!

3) A little sleep does wonders! Taking naps can save you!

My baby hates me!

2008-05-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I am expecting another baby on 12/20/2008. While this is very exciting and planned... (sort of) I think that my unborn child hates me. See, with Elijah I did not have any "morning sickness" instead I had what I called a fat schedule meaning that as long as I kept food on my stomach I was okay. Not much nausea and no yucky vomiting.

Well, this baby has taken my happy fat schedule and turned it into a yucky, roller coaster feeling, nausea that (while not causing the throwing up part) makes me tired, cranky, and hating food. I feel like I want to cry/scream all of the time and unless food is placed in front of me--and shoved down my throat the thought of it makes me sad...AHHHH!!! How do I make my baby love me and not make me sick?! I promise I will provide a good uterus for the next few months...I promise....!

First real attempt at FHE in the Lampano Household...

2008-05-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

Now, I know that we have been asked to have Family Home Evening with our families once a week--regardless of if children are present, etc. But well, aaron and I just never got real good at doing it. He is a convert and did not grow up with that tradition and well...I don't remember doing it on a regular basis either (maybe we did and I just blocked it out)

But....with Elijah finally in nursery (a post that was supposed to happen) I realized that it would be good for us to do FHE in an effort to "train" eli for his future in sunday school classes. Right now, nursery is going great...except for lesson time where he just looses it. In his defense, if I was 18 months old, I am not sure I would want to sit still to listen to somebody reading out of a book with NO PICTURES!!!

Well, tonight we did it!! WAHOO LAMPANO FAMILY!!! WAHOO!! We had our good sit down dinner, then elijah and daddy went to bathtime while I cleaned the kitchen and then FHE. It started out GREAT! We said our prayer (which eli is getting real good at), sang songs, (also another eli.ah plus) and then came the lesson. It was almost as if he could feel it coming. The lesson I chose was about how we are made in the image of God. I started by having eli show me where all of his parts are, he seemed really excited--next I asked aaron to read one verse in the scriptures--this is where eli lost it! aaron quickly read the scripture and then I continued on with the lesson. I tried every trick in the book to keep him interested in what I was saying but, he was not going to have it. I quickly finished the lesson and then moved onto the activity. For the activity I decided Eli would have fun tracing his hand and writing a cute little message (with mommy's help of course) Just like i thought, he loved it. We did his hand, and then daddys, and then attempted mine. it was about this point that eli realized that he wanted ALL of the "colors" so in true 18th month old fashion he threw an ENORMOUS TANTRUM!

Well, tantrums do not work for mommy, so I set him down and told him that we would wait until he was all done with his tantrum and then we would finish FHE. He cried and cried--I sang happy hymns, and aaron kept making fun of the snot hanging out of his eli's nose.

I am happy to say that eventually the tantrum ended and we we able to finish the pictures, hang them up on the fridge and eat our treats but--whoa--who would have thought that FHE could be so dramatic!! WOW!

Teaching music can be frustrating

2008-04-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

While I mostly enjoy teaching orchestra, there are those days....!?!? I teach orchestra at the elementary and middle school levels. Most of my frustration comes from teaching in the elementary schools. Orchestra class for them is held 2 days a week for 30 minutes! In this time I am supposed teach 11/12 year olds the fundamental of playing an instrument, reading music, composers, musical terms, rhythm reading, etc. IF all of my students attended every rehearsal AND brought their instrument/book all the time then this would be almost manageable. Unfortunately, my attendance is awful!! Students come to orchestra when they feel like it (despite my unfailing efforts) so I am forced to teach and reteach the same materials over and over and over and over.....AHHHH!!!

If I had it my way things would be different...its too bad that music is no longer a priorty at the elementary level. Students should not be forced to choose between recess and playing an instruement.

Oh well...

2008-04-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

I am soooooo tired! Friday will not come soon enough...

out is sickness, in with the crazies!!

2008-04-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that the sickness is officially out of my house! WAHOO!! With that being said, I think that eli is making up for lost "crazy time" He is giggly, wiggly, and crazy ALL THE TIME.... I love it!

Tonight we went to a spring social at church. Eli, in his sneaky ways, walked up to the food table and snagged a toquito. Once the food was in his posession he waltzed around the room, food in hand, and danced with it, talked to it, etc--as if to say...."nothing can stop me now...I can reach anything in this room...ITS ALL MINE!!" Very cute!

On a separate note, I found out this afternoon that my grandmother has to move from her apartment into a nursing home due to some medical problems. While normally this is not something to be too worried about, I think that my grandmother is lonely--and this breaks my heart. She has family around her (in utah) but with the loss of my grandfather she spends quite a bit of time by herself. And now that she is having to move away from her home--I am afraid that she will feel sad...
I wish that I were closer, so that I could drop by occassionally to keep her company. I feel helpless here--a phone call can only do so much. Maybe I will put together a package with goodies, pictures, crossword puzzels, etc.............I will definately keep her in my prayers...

too much to do and not enough stickers to go around...

2008-04-17T22:07:00.001-07:00

I have come to the conclusion that women (mommies?) need more hours in the day and more hands to accomplish all that needs to get done.

I feel like every morning I am waking up with the "to-list" and somehow between working, taking care of eli, cleaning the house, running errands, cooking, walking the dog... my list remains untouched. Aaron and I purchased our condo last year (LAST YEAR!!??) and there are so many little projects that I would like to complete around the house to make it better: paint the bathroom, redo elijahs room into "big boy room" repaint doors that are supposed to be white, finish putting pictures up around the house, organize kitchen cabinets... (and the list goes on and on and on and on.....) It feels like I do not get anything done!! AHHH!!!

okay with that said, I will move on to a proud moment! After weighing in at weightwatchers yesterday I have officially lost 18.2 pounds and 10% of my starting weight! WAHOO!!! What a proud moment to step and the scale and to have lost that kind of weight in 12 weeks. I never thought that would happen (and I can't believe that 12 weeks ago I was walking around with that much extra weight around my bootie) Wish me luck...I hope to continue on my weight loss journey, until I am am pregnant, and to eventually loose an additional 14 pounds.

Until next time...

Here Goes....

2008-04-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I have finally decided to join the rest of the world and blog!! Wahoo!!
While it has taken some time to begin to create my page I am a little excited about the possibility of releasing some of my thought into cyberspace.

One thought came to me as I was beginning to update my profile. The title "ABOUT ME" was given and with that I was supposed create 1-2 short paragraphs that would best describe me. One thought came to mind...WOW!! I don't know if I am the only person totally overwhelmed with that feeling or if it is natural for someone to type and erase a bunch of times in an attempt write information about themselves. I didn't know where to start....should I start at the beginning with my youth (because that is afterall where my personality was molded) or do I explain my current situation? Am I supposed to discuss my profession? My mommy status? My relationship with my husband? My schooling? (Because all of that really expresses me...) WOW!! I guess that I will continue to think on the statement "ABOUT ME" and hopefully a more detailed description will be provided at a later date.

My poor son..... Elijah woke up this morning with a temperature. Not a high one--but enough to make him feel sicky. As a result, my day was spent attempting to communicate with him to find the best way to make him feel better. I never realized how difficult it could be for a 17 month old to communicate with a mommy who doesn't speak baby. I would give him something that I thought was appropriate and then he would whine and shake his head until I grabbed the right item. (if I found the right item) The most difficult part of our afternoon was when he got super tired. Eli is not one who will fall asleep in your arms while watching a movie. He has to be put in bed with the light off. Unfortunately, he didn't want me to leave his side. So as I would even walk toward his bedroom he would scream. (breaking my heart) and then I would walk to the couch and try to bribe him with finding nemo (which I watched at least 3 times today) and he would cry some more because he was so tired...

Poor Elijah....

Alright, my bed is calling me.