Taking it easy

It has been a while since I posted. I think its a combination of being extremely busy and extremely sleep deprived. This weekend was B-U-S-Y! Really, when I think back about our weekend, it wasnt that busy, or at least it wouldnt have been considered a crazy weekend pre-baby. But somehow this little guy who is just about two feet tall and a ball of sweetness makes things a tad more diffuclut, requires a ton of planning and a schedule that we are desperatly trying to keep without being prisoners to his nap schedule!
Friday night we celebrated Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, Eli's first! Of course dinner started at the time that he is usually in his bath and gearing up for bed, so I was a bit nervous to see how things unfolded. Eli is, well, not a great sleeper. No matter when time he goes to bed, he is still up at the same time...5am, I cringe at the thought.

But we had a great time and he did great.

We didnt quite make it until the end, Eli was in pj's by the time dessert came out, but he managed to hang on to let us eat some cake and cookies, just what I needed to get in shape!

Ethan was in town this weekend, which is always a blast! Eli and Ethan got reacquainted (they havent seen eachother since our trip to Tahoe in July) by checking out the fan in Ethan's room.

It didnt take long before Ethan was making Eli giggle and he became one of his favorite people. Saturday afternoon the whole family (around 40 people) were at the house for lunch, and then we went to Eli's friend Henry's 1st birthday party. Somehow the only pictures I got from the whole day were these...
Mom and Dad after everyone finally left and they could relax!

Eli and his cousins Max and Simone

Alan and Sophia Goss with Blaine and Eli at Henry's birthday party

So, at an attempt to keep it low key and relaxing today, we hung out at home all day.

Eli had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb...

This little lamb's name is Larry, and he goes EVERYWHERE with Eli! Literally. We have a few Larry stand-in's so Larry can be washed without having to endure a nap or car ride without him. What is funny to me is that my whole family addresses Larry by name.

He won't take a pacifier or suck on his thumb, he just sucks on Larry (hence, the need for a wash at least once a week!). He holds onto Larry so tight the whole night, cuddles with him, rubs him on his face, on his cheek, over his eyes, its just the cutest thing! If Eli loses Larry during the night, he will let us know, and we go running in his room as fast as we can to replace Larry in his arms before he completely wakes up. Oh Larry, what would we do without you?

The last two weeks have brought many changes.

We have teeth! Two of them! Finally.

Ive been trying to get a shot of them, but he sticks out his tounge instead. You would think he had a full mouth of teeth by the way he acts like he is chewing a steak when he is eating his pureed food. The sounds he makes have even changed, and Blaine and I are certain we keep hearing "mama!!!!"

Eli is crawling...kind of. He has figured out that he can move his body to places or things that he wants, and he goes for it, usually ending up on his belly face planting. With this new talent that he has acquired, he wants to practice all the time- while we are playing, time after time after time, or while he should be napping, or when he wakes up in the morning while he is still in his crib. I went in to get him from a nap and found him on his belly with both legs stuck through slats of this crib. Needless to say, the bumpers are officially in his crib from now on!

If it were up to him he would skip crawling all together and start walking. Holding onto the couch is a new fun activity that can occupy lots of time!