Eli Thursday

39 weeks

This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for my sweet little turkey. He often falls asleep when he nurses, and I love soaking up as many snuggles as I can. I'm going to miss this!

Eli Thursday

38 weeks

We put up our Christmas tree yesterday, and he had lots of fun crawling underneath, trying to eat the ornaments, and getting into mischief in general. I hope he loves Christmas as much as his mama!

Eli Thursday

37 weeks

See that little face? That right there is what pure happiness looks like.

On being a mother

Story #1

I don't even bother checking the time as I stumble, still mostly asleep, from my bed towards little Eli crying in his crib. All I know is that it is past midnight, since that is when I was up last, but since it is still pitch black outside I know the night is far from over. In some ways that is a relief. Maybe this is the last time I will get woken up tonight, and maybe I will get a few hours of undisturbed, blissful, much-needed sleep. Maybe. (Although I know in my heart that is only wishful thinking.)

When I pick him up I snuggle him close, kiss his warm, fuzzy head, and get comfortable on the bed in the nursery where I sit and nurse him during these night feedings. My eyes are heavy, and once he latches I can't keep them open any longer. I don't realize I've fallen asleep until my head jerks up when my chin bumps into my collarbone.

By this time, my little man-cub is peacefully snoozing on my lap after drinking himself back to sleep, so I gingerly move him to his crib. I can never resist kissing his silky-soft cheeks before I leave. When I bend down, I can smell his sweet baby skin, and even though I'm dead tired I can't help but pause for a minute to marvel at his perfect, tiny little self. Every day I'm filled with awe that he is mine.

I stumble back to bed, trying not to disturb my sleeping husband, and sink back into sleep.

Story #2:

I can hear laughter coming from the other room, so I peek around the corner to spy on Dallin and Eli, who are playing on the floor while I try to get some things done. Gleeful baby giggles (the best sound in the world, hands down) erupt every time Dallin pretends to eat him up, which makes Dallin laugh in return, and this sequence is repeated over again until Dallin picks Eli up, squeezes and kisses him, and says, "I love you so much, little guy. We're going to be best friends!" And then I swoon and melt into a puddle all at once because I just can't handle how much I love those two boys of mine.

Story #3:

After changing his diaper, I sit Eli on the floor while I grab a fresh outfit. He happily starts playing with one of his favorite toys – an empty water bottle that never made it to the trash – and I take advantage of his contentment to spend a few peaceful (and much needed!) minutes reading. A few minutes later I pause to look up at him. The goofball is cheerfully alternating between chewing on his water bottle and blowing very wet raspberries that dribble past his pursed lips, down his chin, and onto his round baby belly. I can't help but laugh at him, all covered in slobber, and just as happy as can be. He is so perfectly innocent. 

I can't help but remember the fact that this sweet naiveté is only temporary. One day his world will include so much more than just playing, eating, sleeping, and seeing how big of a mess he can make when my back is turned. One day he will have to learn about the ugly and hard things the world holds. And while I take comfort in knowing that there will also be so much beauty to discover, and that our home can be a safe haven, I worry daily about how I will be a good enough mother. Often I wonder if I have it in me, but it makes me feel a little better when I remember that I don't have to do it alone. 

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Ever since Eli was born I've had so many people ask me how it feels to be a mother. I usually opt for the short answer: "It's great, I love it!" And while that is true, it is so much more than that.

Motherhood is... gosh, how do I describe it? For me, it is a collection of extremes and paradoxes.

It is intense fatigue and equally intense joy.

It is difficult, and yet feels like second nature most of the time.

It is appreciating luxuries like undisturbed showers and solo bathroom trips more than I ever knew I would.

It is the hardest kind of work, both physically and mentally.

It is giving all I have and then realizing I still, miraculously, have more to give.

It is experiencing a kind of love I never knew existed.

It is beginning to understand how much Heavenly Father loves his children.

It is a thousand moments every day like the stories I mentioned above, a thousand heart-stretching moments of both struggle and bliss.

It's a wild ride, man. A ride I am thankful to experience.

Little snippets

Eli makes the funniest sounds when he eats. You know when he has found a stray Cheerio on the floor by the loud grunts and satisfied smacks. It cracks Dallin and me up every time we hear it.

Whenever I call my mom on facetime, Eli gets so, so, SO excited. Like hyperventilating, giggling, and bouncing up and down excited. I'm pretty sure it's mostly because he can see himself while it's ringing, the little narcissist, but don't tell my mom that. ;)

His feet and hands are always cold, even when they are in socks and his brace. I've startled him more than a few times by shrieking out in shock when his chilly fingers sneak themselves under my shirt. Stinker!

Eli has two kinds of laughs: a normal little giggle, and a goofy sound he makes by breathing in sharply. It's kind of like a mix between a gasp and a happy shriek. I love it. I keep forgetting to get a good video of it since it makes me laugh so hard.

We have a bunch of blocks in the living room where Eli and I spend the majority of our day. Lately he has been so funny when Dallin and I build towers. He used to knock them over pretty quickly, but now he will alllllmost touch it, and then pull his hand away, over and over and over again. I'm not sure whether to be happy that I get to knock all my towers over, or disappointed that I don't get to see him do it. 

One of Eli's favorite pastimes is gripping any visible strands of Dallin's hair tightly in his tiny fists. I have never been so thankful to not have chest hair in my life.

A cool day at the lake with my family. He loves to be outside.

If only he would have kept these on for more than 2.394 seconds. SO CUTE.

His tragically sad faces crack me up, so naturally I take lots of pictures of him in the depths of misery. (Mom of the year, that's me!)

Helping dad with the dishes. That cutting board was on the ground in minutes.

"It looks like a dead body." -Dallin

Cousins!

He's already too cool for me. 

Helping dad pack for a canyoneering trip. 

It makes me so nervous when he stands on the tile with his brace, but clearly he shares none of my concerns. That happy face is my favorite. 

Eli Thursday

36 weeks

Bubbles are very serious bizness around these parts. Actually, with this little analytical man, pretty much everything is serious bizness. 

Blankets and babies

I've been wanting a new comforter for our bed for a long time, and finally picked this duvet cover up at IKEA on a whim last week since I liked it well enough and it was cheap. I wasn't really in love with it, but after unsuccessfully searching over the past several months for something I loved that wasn't painfully overpriced I was so ready to just get something already. After I put it on our bed, our whole room instantly looked so much brighter and happier, and I actually really, really like it after all... yippee! I have been struggling to figure out what direction I want to go in with paint and decor, and now I've got lots of ideas spinning in my brain. I can't wait to really start working on this room in earnest... although I probably better finish some of the many other projects I'm in the middle of at the moment, like painting our hall/bathroom walls and trim, as well as staining cabinets, installing doors, replacing light fixtures, sewing curtains... the list goes on and on. I'm the queen of beginning projects... but finishing them is hard with a mobile, mischievous baby!

Like I said in this post, our mornings are usually pretty slow and lazy while I try to get as recharged as possible after a rough night, and it's so nice to have this room a little more cozy and cheery. The happy change (and morning light) inspired this little impromptu photo session. 

He loves hanging out on my bed, but is always crawling dangerously close to the edge, so I have to pick him up...

...and plop him down in the middle again. It's his new favorite game.

Here he is, trying to do it again...

...and laughing at me as I get ready to grab him. 

This time he actually laid down for a while, distracted by the window and his toes. They are still a bit of a novelty after wearing the brace all day for so long. 

Those eyes, man. He is always observing everything so intently and I just wish I knew what he is thinking.