FIRST WORD

On December 17th, 2014 you said your first word. At almost 14 months your first word wasn't mom, wasn't dad... It was........ DOG!!!!! You are absolutely smitten with patches. You love waking up and opening her cage, jumping all over her, pulling her tail, tugging at her ears. But most of all you love to hug on her and laugh with her. She takes it like a big sister though, never nips at you or barks at you, just lets you sit there and torture her. You have also started to "blink" when  mommy says eyes, point to your nose when asked where your nose is, you wave bye-bye. You crawl on EVERYTHING!!! Your latest thing is getting on the toilet and standing in it to get to the bathroom sink so you can play with the water. Yes, at 13.5 months you are using the toilet, proving yourself on the counter and turning the sink water on to play .. Crazy right? You are always keeping me on my toes, reminding me that boys really are hell on wheels!!! 

11 sweet sweet months

Holy gaucamole my son, you are almost a year old!!! You have mastered the walking game down to a tee!!! You even try to run, which scares the hell outta mom. You try so so hard to catch up to sister and do everything she does. You STILL ARENT SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!! Yup that's right, 11 months old and not sleeping through the night. I will say you are getting better. I don't know if it's the essential oils or you are just better at self soothing but there have been a few 9-5 and mostly 9-3 am. And I'm such a sucker that I actually miss you and sometimes am guilty of waking you up for snuggle sessions. Because well, you're the best snuggle buddy I have ever had. You are still breastfed, wearing mostly 18-24 months& 2T clothes. Size 5 diapers, lots of blowouts. You love to climb everything!! Daddy and I find you in all kinds of places, inside of boxes, inside of shelves, on top of desks, in the dog crate, you every go up the ladder on our swingset outside and scare the hell pitta mommy. 

You are all boy, bruises EVERYWHERE, though I will admit about 50% of them are brought on by Deb. You and dj still nap with me in the afternoon, I soak it all in because I know these days are short and oh so sweet. Soon you won't want to nap with me and be held all day. For now I will take all the cuddles I can get. You started Gymboree classes, you love an obstacle & all the song and dance there. I will admit though that you are kinda lost without sister in class. You are timid and shy, not smiley and loud. It's interesting to watch your change in demeanor when she is not around. You can see how much you love her, you just sparkle around her. Every morning she wakes up earlier than you and we bring her into bed. Deb & I watch cartoons until you wake up, all giggly the second you see her face. 

I remember the day I found out you would be a boy, I was scared. Scared you & her wouldn't get along. Scared that I wouldn't love you as much as her. But I will admit I was soooooo wrong. You have brought this family such joy and content. You really complete us all. Mom won't lie she also wasn't excited about dressing a boy, but someone I have managed to love it. These past eleven month have been pure joy with you. You are so easy going and relaxed. Such a breath of fresh air. I love you to the moon and back Eli Donald Alexander 

Steps steps steps

You starting taking independent steps today. This is a picture of you and sister pushing a grocery cart outside. At only 9.5 sweet months you're already on your way to walking .. Love you to piece Eli Donald Alexander 

9 sweet sweet months

Yup, you are 9 months old already and so full of life.. Easily temperamental when you are sleepy or tired but overall such a happy happy man. You are always smiling and going with the flow. You always take all your sister bullying with little To no tears. You have mad the two children transition a lot smoother because of your demeanor. You love to walk with a walker. The other day you crawled into the living room and put yourself in the trampoline and started jumping all by yourself. Can't say I know many 9 month olds getting into that much trouble all on their own. 

You have started to take your first steps, still have t quite mastered it yet but you are oh SO close. Your hair is blonde, your eyes are changing to a more greenish color. You are still 24 pounds and 31" tall. You just had an ear infection over the 4th of July and man were you a BEAR. Your temperature went as high as 104 rectally and I had a small panic attack. Your sister never ran fevers on me when she was sick. I was so worried you might have a seizure that you slept in bed so restless and uneasy all night with me and daddy. 

You still remain to be a crappy night sleeper. I have created a total monster . You fall asleep around 9 and wake up about 1-2 in the morning. If I let you cry it out you can go as long as an hour before you give up and fall back asleep. I feel so awful letting you cry for that long. It hurst my gut to see you sad and just wanting some snuggles so of course I cave most of the time. 

You enjoy the outdoors and any you you can get your hands on that Deborah won't steal from you. You LOVE to eat anything mom dad & sister are eating. You also love drinking water straight from a cup. You're not that into sippy cups or bottles. You are still breastfed. You wear size 4&5 diapers and are in 18/24 months clothes. 

You are a total lady killer. You smile most of the time and shut down hard and fast when you're sleepy. You are so opposite of deb, so mellow and relaxed, easygoing and attentive. Your grandma Mary says you have "an old soul" it's like you have been on earth and lived a long life before. You seem to have an ease about everything, like it's been conquered by you in some past life. I often think about how much my mother would have eaten you up, how much love you could have shown her and given to her. I wish she could have met you and you the same. Although you have lots of grandparents I am certain she would have been your favorite if she were around. You bring our family such a calm & go with the flow emotion. I am so grateful to call you mine and watch you grow. Happy 9 months sweet boy!!! 

Eli's first 4th of July

We had our first Fourth of July at the Tilden house this year. Can't say you had the best of times. You and deb BOTH have ear infections and a sinus cold. You're even having a tough time eating because you're so congested. I had to rock you back to sleep this morning instead of breastfeeding, which is totally out of your routine. Breaks my heart to see you in a bad mood, you always have such a mellow and happy demeanor about you but these past two days you have been cranky and Whiney, refusing sleep even MORE than you already do. You go a long stretch from about 9:00-1:00 then you wake up and cry for close to a half hour, fall back asleep and wake up two hours later. Moms almost at her wits end, thinking about trying essential oils to see if it will help your sleeping. This weekend mommy and daddy are going to San fransisco and leaving you and deb . You will be staying with grandpa David and grandma Kathleen while deb is going camping with December  & the kids. You really are such a joy, watching your smile and happiness.. You giggle often at your sister, she truely makes you the happiest. Can't wait to watch you guys grow up together 

8 months old

Wow, eight short short but oh so sweet months have passed already!!! You are such a great baby, never making a peep unless you're hungry or sleepy!! 

Still breastfeeding, mommy never thought we would make it this long, but you love it so so much. You still SUCK at sleeping at night. We put you down about 9-10 pm and you wake like clockwork about 1 to 3 am and cry cry cry sometimes a full hour before going back down. Often I give up and put you in bed with me but you snack on me alllllll morning long and I get no rest. It's exhausting but rewarding. You are such a chunky baby, wearing size 4 diapers and 18-24 months clothe.. You are getting talker so less round but still a chunk. You crawl alllll over the place. You love pulling yourself up and creeping along the furniture . You are chomping at the bit to start walking. You love being outside , usually have to put you in your walker because you want to get into EVERYTHING 

7 months old

My my my boy, you are NOT one for sleeping. You pretty much catnap throughout the day, maybe get an hour out of you if I'm lucky. You like to be nursed to sleep, sometimes rocked if I get lucky. You are currently 23.6 pounds and 30inches tall. You are crawling barely, taking a few forwards movements and then crying when you don't take off as quickly as you'd like to. You grab everything your sister has in her hands. Likewise, she grabs everything in your hands. You two are gonna have a hard time sharing with one another. You are growing up so fast. The time seems to be going by so much more quickly with you than with your sister, perhaps because the days are so fast chasing after the both of you. 

You enjoy being outdoors, watching your sister, laughing when patches barks or when sister laughs, you love raspberry kisses, you like the bathtub or shower , you fall asleep on most car rides. 

You continue to drool but still no teeth yet, wish they would make an appearance already. You wear size 4 diapers, 18-24 months clothes, and size 4 shoes. You are almost as big as your sister. 

You love being carried in a sling or back carry and prefer it over a stroller ride . You enjoy being in the pool with sister and daddy. Your favorite foods are butternut squash, avacado and sweet potatoes. 

6 sweet sweet months

My boy, you have made strides this month. You started to roll on you back to your belly on April 12th.. And on April 26th you started to crawl backwards.. You are seriously soooo ready to be on the move. Such a strong boy you always want to be standing or jumping in your jumper.. I just know you are going to keep me on my toes. 

Your tooth continues to bother you but has still not cut in quite yet.. You're a crappy sleeper, never really take good naps, just catnaps throughout the day. You still don't sleep through the night, that makes mommy sAd. But I won't lie I still

Love the snuggle time and bonding time with just you and I those early mornings with your warm little baby body against my skin.. I love knowing I can comfort you and love on you.. One day you won't want anything to do with me so for now I will take all the time and attention I can get. 

5 months old

You have the sweetest smile I have ever seen, such a happy little baby you are . You still love milk, mommy spends all day and night nursing you.. You found your fett and started rolling over from back to belly. You get on all fours already.. It's

Looking like you will crawl by 6 or 7 months for sure. Your legs are so strong, all day long you love to jump either in your jumper or on someone's lap. You continue to wear 12-18 months clothes and are in size 4 diapers. You're not a good sleeper or napper, unless mommy and sister are napping with you. You love your jumper, tummy time, eating, watching tv (bad mommy) , bath time and the mobile in your crib. 

You hate your car seat, mommy picking your boogers out of your nose, a bottle , and to mommy it seems you hate sleep 

Eli's cutting his first tooth

Oh man it's coming!!! A tooth, your very first too this coming in on the bottom right side... And you aureate letting mommy know it's bugging you.. You're irritable, fussy, sleeping barely a wink, waking up ever 1.5 hours crying, and shoving your entire hand in your mouth. Can't wait till this tooth pops up and you're back to your old happy self again !!! 

4 months old

Mom went back to work for the first time on feb 22, 2014. To soften the blow for daddy we shipped off your sister to a aunt Decembers house and left just you and daddy solo (then grandma robin showed up to help) .  Daddy says you were great, barely cried, took a bottle, had a few catnaps and were overall a charm to watch!!!! I'm glad the day went by so well, but geez I think your dad thought watching kids as a job all day was easy.. I think he might change his mind next weekend when mommy works and he has you and deb all by himself. 

You continue to amaze me with your overall delight for life. You're such a happy boy, always smiling and cooing.. 

You throw up after feeds quite a bit, think you tend to overeat (shocking, seeing as you almost weigh 20 pounds at four months old) . You love to stand on your feet, would do it all day if your legs were strong enough to bear the weight. You smile alllll the time. You love to sleep, have started to do 5-6 hour stretches at night. You won't take a pacifier so you just use mommy as one. You hate the car seat, scream bloody murder sometimes when you're in it. Took you to Disneyland the other day and I caved and pulled over thinking you were hungry because I couldn't think of any other reason you would have cried that loud and that long for. I fed you, burped you, you fell asleep, I put you back in your carseat and you screamed the whole way home..

I had to leave the house when we got home you had me so anxious from the ride home.. And of course you came home and slept for almost 5 hours uninterrupted.. 

You are a drooly beast, always chewing on your hands or anything you can put in your mouth. You are wearing size three diapers and 6-12, 12-18 months clothes. So crazy to think you are that big. Took you to your checkup at 4 month and you weighed in at 20.15 pounds and 28.5 inches.. Such a big big boy 

Three super ridiculous fast months

II can't believe it. Three freaking months old already. Time with two kids goes by so much faster than with one. I still insist you are ahead of your time. You are so smart, so happy, so chatty.. You coo and goo all day long. I'm driving in the car and hear you in the back talking to yourself. I feel like it took your sister forever to do that. 

You still aren't sleeping through the night (poor mommy). You're like clockwork every three hours wanting to eat. You would think at your weight you would have some reserves to make it through the night but noooo you insist on eating. I will admit I love nursing you. When your eyes roll back to fall asleep because you are so comforted. 

You are a big catnapper. I think it's mostly because deb doesn't let you get much sleep. As soon as you fall asleep she screams and you wake up. You love to be swaddles for sleep or in your swing swaddles for sleep. You sleep at night swaddled in your rock n play or in mom and dads bed. 

Your hair is brown and your eyes are blue though they look to be changing to green like your sisters. 

You still hate the car seat. You love being held. You fart like a man. You poop a lot. 

You smile all the time. You love your mom dad and sister. You like to be outdoors. You love the bath. You wear 6-12 months clothes and a size three diaper. 

You are an absolute joy to have as a baby. So easy going and happy unless you're sleepy or hungry. Mommy is enjoying every minute of you!!!  

Napping on mommy 

At the grocery store with mom 

Hanging outside with dad and sister 

You pooped through your diaper and onto grandpa David's hand

2 super fast months

Seems like your sister took forever to get to two months of age.. Maybe that's because she gave mommy and daddy a run for there money. But you, the days are zooming by. Feels like yesterday we brought you home.You're calm, happy, smiley, cranky without sleep, a great eater ( which makes you look like you're three months old ). You have bright blue eyes, they haven't changed from birth and I'm hoping they stay this gorgeous color. You love bath time, could sit in the water all night.. You are super gassy, always waking up to fart. You already don't fit in 0-3 months clothes anymore. You're definitely a mommys boy so far.. Dad thinks you hate him, every time he holds you, you cry. And if he sets you down by yourself on the couch you're calm. You enjoy tummy time, don't make a peep.. Your first Christmas was spent here at the house, you slept most of the day away. We spent New Year's Eve at uncle Jason's house and it was definitely one of your rougher days. You barely slept and disagreed with something on my milk, causing you to throw up several times that day. Broke my heart.. You gave been to Disneyland twice with the family, can't say you get any thrill out of it yet.. I love watching you coo at me, you're so ahead of your time it seems.. You're so alert and interested in things, I see you watch objects for minutes at a time.. Wish I knew what you were thinking. One thing is certain, you hate the car seat. Cry every time we are in the car, bloody gut wrenching cries.. Can't wait to see what you are up to next month

Christmas Day at cousin Michelle's 

Visiting grandma debbi at cemetery 

New Year's Eve