Eli's {1st} Christmas...and other fun pics

Christmas has come and gone quite a while ago, but this momma has been lacking in the blog posting, and poor lil' Eli hasn't even gotten recognized for his 1st ever Christmas...so, here we go, get ready for major photo overload! We were blessed to be able to spend Turkey Day to Jesus' birthday up in Big D, and here are some glimpses of our time there...

Making Gingerbread houses with Aunt Glo!
Good job sharing, Levi!
A rare photo of Aaron and me
Me and Gwen with our big boys.
One of Eli's first tastes of big boy food!
Playdate with cousin, Miles
Eli, 7 months
Reading with "Unca Brosky"
My sweet momma, snuggling with precious baby Cole, the newest nephew!
Our four boys, December 19, 2010
Me and my little men
Sweet Ava Joy, our delightful niece
Cute cousins!
Chillin' at Nana & Papi's house
Precious girl!
Being goofy with my man!
;)
I just can't get enough of this little girl!
Our Aldape Christmas!
Happy boy!
Baby Cole
Cookies!
Pretty Gloria!
Glenna, modeling her apron!
Grebbie with lil' Cole
Continuing a Christmas tradition!
Mommy & Eli!
Our sweet lil' man with Mom and Dad
Silly Baby!
Lookie what Santa put in the stocking!!!
Little Mer-man baby, haha!
Uncle Grant thought it would be funny to see what Eli's bald spot looked like with a face on it...
...here's the "real" deal...
...and here's Eli's "other" face...some people really do have eyes on the back of their heads! ;)
Cute lil' dudes, Levi, Johnathan and Miles.
Our wonderful Papa & Mema
Aldape Family Stockings, Christmas 2010
Christmas 2010
Christmas morning!
"Look what I got!"
Happy 1st Christmas, Eli!
Trying Johnathan's new bike!
Eli ridin' the chopper, vroom, vroom!
Precious boy!
Eli and Geenz!
What a beautiful auntie you have Eli!
The many faces of Baby Santa...the annoyed face...
...the huh, you talkin' to me? face...
...the oops, I think I just let one slip face...
...the I know I'm just a baby but I can have attitude too face!
Baby Cole's first Christmas too!

*Some of these photos are out of order...but I just don't have the time or energy to fix them...sorry!*

Lil toot!
Eli and Grammy!
Puzzle from Uncle Grant, thanks Brosky!
Bah-Humbug!
Probably my favorite pic of Eli's first Christmas!
I love you, sweet boy...and Auntie Glo, love you too!
Eli Robert, Christmas 2010!
Biggest Sis and Littlest Sis!
Little shepherd boys for the Christmas Eve play at Grandma's
Mary!
Little techies!
Mer-Bear and Monkey-boy!
Ooh-la-la! ;)
Eli's debut as Baby Jesus.
Christmas Eve, 2010
Christmas Eve
Kisses for the angel baby.
"I-li" (eye-lie as Johnathan says Eli's name)
Arden & Eli

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

Over and out,
*Grace*

{Today} in Pictures

I don't have much to say right now...well, I do, but I am too tired to write much I should say...so I am going to post a few of today's photographs...courtesy of Meredith/Arden/Aunt Jenna who were behind the camera...and in front of it too, lovin' on our sweet boys! ;)

Eli, 8 Months, and pretty darn cute if I do say so myself!

Johnathan, 2 & 3/4 years old, loving on his "Arnen."

Meredith, or "Ner-Bear" as Johnathan calls her, hanging with the little dudes.

Brotherly love.

Eli loves to make this scrunchy nose face...too cute!

Bright Eyes!

We love you, Arden!

We love our Mer-Bear!

Precious boy with his first "crush"...when asked who the prettiest girl he's ever seen is, Johnathan without hesitating said, "Arnen!" They are great buddies!

Monkey & Meredith!

Still can't get over those lashes!

Money!!! Cha-Ching!

Johnathan loves being affectionate to his lil' brother, sometimes to Eli's dismay, haha!

Hope you all have had a restful Sunday 'cause Monday is right around the corner! ;)

*Grace*

Little Mister Independent

It's funny how much personality Eli has. At only 8 months old he is already little mister independent...especially when it comes to eating...and loves to do things all by himself. I started him on "solid" baby food, which is really just like soupy veggies and fruits, about a month ago. He did okay at first, but now as soon as he sees that spoon of goo coming toward his mouth he throws such a fit. He'll hide behind his hands, clench his jaw so that I can't open it and pretty much do all he can within his power to NOT eat the food...but, give him some cut up pieces of food or offer him something he can chew and he's all about it, haha! So, we're skipping the spoon-fed stage and going straight to the "big boy" stuff...stuff like pancakes, and small pieces of soft fruits and veggies...oh, and meat sticks, the Gerber baby ones that look like little hot dogs...he LOVES those! It feels sort of weird to just let him feed himself at this stage, but I got the approval from his doctor and now I don't have to stress about him not eating his baby mush. Now I just have to come up with creative ways to make soft baby food that can be picked up and eaten! I sure hope that he gets more teeth in soon because right now he is pretty much just gumming it all!

I know that I've been horrible about posting photos lately...so here are a few from Christmastime that I stole from my sisters' facebook accounts, haha! Oh, and speaking of Christmas, I have to do a post about that soon, seeing as it's a month behind us and I still haven't blogged about Eli's First Christmas! Hopefully that will be coming soon! ;)






Much love,
*Grace*

Does This {Candle} Make Me Look Fat???!

Okay, so I love candles...like really, really love them. I don't know, there is just something about the aroma they give throughout the house that seriously brightens my day. If you come to my home on any given day, at any given time, I almost always will have at least one or more candles lit...sometimes one in every room! Aah, so relaxing...at least for my sense of smell, haha!

Anyways...the other day, as I walked from room to room smelling the delicious scents I started having all sorts of cravings for the food that the candles smelled like...creme brulee, butter pecan pie, warm cinnamon sugar, vanilla cupcakes, etc...they all smelled sooo good...but it was all just scent, not the "real" deal and boy, my stomach did not know the difference and wanted to eat some sweets right then and there. So...thankfully I keep a bit of sugary/chocolatey stuff on hand, and I ate up anything that my tummy wanted, haha! Craving satisfied! ;)

So...does this candle make me look fat??? Probably!!! I need to get a hold of things and maybe move onto candle scents that aren't based on a food item. Maybe it's time to move onto floral scents or something, just so long as it's not an edible flower or who knows, I might start craving them too!

Happy Thursday!

*Grace*

The Beauty in the Backseat

Today was just one of those days...one of those days where things don't go "as planned" or the way that you want them to. A day where the preceding night has seemed way too long and yet also way too short at the same time. A day where having a cup of coffee (or two) is definitely a necessity, haha! ;)

Late morning I dropped Eli off with Aunt Jenna so that I could take Johnathan to the doc for the second day in a row...I wonder if our pediatrician ever tires of seeing us??? Probably not, I am betting that his kids are well on their way to having full college funds because of us! ;)

Yesterday our little Monkey boy was diagnosed with the common cold, but overnight his cough turned really nasty and frequent, and this morning I could not get him to stop coughing...poor little guy emptied his stomach several times from coughing so hard, it was really tough to see. Anyways, today the doc said that in addition to his cold he has strep and also the excessive coughing and difficulty taking normal breaths is from asthma...that is sort of Johnathan's MO...with almost whatever sort of illness he gets the asthma always gets the better of him and he almost always gets sent home with a regimen of oral steroids...this time was no different...except that he got a steroid shot too which was just the icing on the cake for poor Monkey. Obviously most kids hate shots, and Johnathan fits right in that category...and I most certainly hate having to hold him down, arms pinned, while he gets said shot. But it had to be done and I can already tell an improvement in his health from this morning.

We went to pick Eli up after having been gone about and hour and a half, and both boys were exhausted. Shortly after leaving Aunt Jenna's they both fell asleep in the car, and I sure as heck wasn't going to wake them up. So I just drove around town for a bit 'til they were both deep in slumber and then I went to the Starbucks drive through to get myself a cup of coffee, my second for the day.

After sipping some of the dark nectar I drove down to the ocean and parked in a good spot to see the waves crashing up on the rocks where the sea met the land. It was beautiful, the perfect spot to rest while my two precious sons slept soundly in their car seats in the back. It was also the perfect spot to reflect, and upon seeing the beauty that God had created I felt undeniably peaceful.

While the waves crashed against the rocks and boulders outside, and while the wind whipped around us all was calm inside our little car. The soft snores of my boys filled the space and I couldn't help but stare through my rear view mirror at the beauty in the back seat as well. It's hard to express how much I love my two little dudes, and more often than not they are running around (well, Eli is quite running yet, but you know what I mean) like little wild men with a million volts of little boy energy coursing through their bodies. So, it was quite nice to be able to stare at their little faces, to admire their perfectly pink cheeks, so fresh and baby soft, their sweetly formed little mouths silent in slumber and their beautiful, dark eyelashes that contrasted so perfectly with their pure skin. I was surrounded by beauty today, and I am so thankful that I was "forced" to just stop and enjoy the beauty that God gave me today. I sat there close to an hour just enjoying it...and my coffee, too, of course! It was a wonderful respite during an otherwise harried day.

Now my two little dudes are once again asleep, and I'm hoping that tonight goes better than last night, and that just maybe Eli won't get sick...but, with way that Johnathan so affectionately bestows kisses on his little brother it's pretty likely that we'll be seeing our dear doctor again...oh, well, I guess his kids will get to go to college for sure!

*Grace*

All I Want For New Years is My Two Front Teeth!

Finally, after months of teething, Eli has finally been granted his first tooth which came in yesterday. The bottom middle left tooth popped through after some major teething, and the one next to it is just below the surface...phew, the first phase of his teething is over and I can't wait to see those little pearly whites grow!

Happy New Year! 2011 is off to a good start, haha!

*Grace*

Not Quite Sure What To Do ;)

Tonight I find myself on one of those rare occasions where I have the evening all to myself. My boys...all 3 of them...are tucked in bed, and it is only a bit past 7:45! I am really not quite sure what to do as it is a rare, dare I say treat (!) to have a night to do whatever I want! For now I suppose I will do some catching up on this blog diary of mine!

For those of you who have noticed a lack in posts these last few weeks it was due to our extended stay away from home for the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. It just so happened that our dear Dr. Aldape had an elective rotation wedged in between two of the busiest and joyous holidays of the year, and it just so happened that the rotation was located within a stones throw away from our families, and thankfully I had a free schedule, *wink*, so the boys and I came with him...gotta love being a stay at home mom! ;)

We are now back home and getting into the swing of things again, which is always nice, and of course a little bittersweet since we are missing our family. BUT, we have lots of wonderful memories that we will keep with us until we're able to make some more. AND, we sure did miss our "Dear W's"...so it's nice to be here in the same town again with them! (We love you, Whitehurst Family!)

Of course I have lots of pics to post, but I think that I will wait for another day to do that. For now I am going to enjoy doing whatever it is that I come up with to do...maybe I will just do nothing, haha, wouldn't that be a change! ;)

Love,
*Grace*

{7} In Heaven

This past Sunday, December 19, 2010 was our precious Gideon's 7th Heaven Birthday...can you believe it...7 years?...seems like just yesterday he was still a precious little life squirming happily inside of my tummy. Seems like just yesterday, and also at the same time it seems lifetimes ago. So much has happened since then, and yet I can still recall the smell of his sweet baby-scent, can feel the softness of his precious little cheeks, and can remember the lines and curves of his beautiful little body. I remember it all, and not unlike another young mother from long ago I have treasured it all in my heart, every little memory that makes up our precious Gideon James.

We went to visit the Gideon and Daniel at the grave site Sunday and as always it was bittersweet. So strange to see our two live sons next to the markers of our sons who have passed away. To think, we could have had 4 precious little dudes running around with us right now, how amazing would that have been?!! We got to "introduce" Eli to his two biggest brothers, and told Johnathan again about them. He even waved good-bye to them when we left.

Precious, precious Gideon. We love you so much. Oh to know the glories that you are surrounded with each moment. Hold onto your little brother, and keep him close until we are all joined together in Heaven. Have a most blessed Christmas with the Savior of the World, who was born as a baby in a manger, and lived as a man among us, who died for the sins of the entire world, and resurrected to conquer death and bring LIFE to all!

Happy Birthday, sweet boy. Mama, Dada, Daniel, the Angel Babies, Johnathan and Eli all love you so very much.

*Grace*

Finally, Some Food!!!

Well, this past weekend I started to give Eli his first taste of baby cereal...sure he's almost 7 months, and I could have started this about 3 months ago, but I held off until he could sit reasonably well on his own in the high chair, and guess what???...the little dude LOVES to eat "real" food!!! It's crazy! Johnathan took a while to get used to eating more solid food, but Eli is catching on pretty quick, and anytime he sees food he wants it, haha! Seriously, today we were at Chick-Fil-A and Eli threw a fit until I gave him a waffle fry to chew on...is that normal??? He already is loving to gum on little teething crackers, has tried sort of chewing on some toast, has gummed a few chips and will try to grab any food item and shove it in his little mouth! I am going to the store in a bit to get him some more baby 1st foods...veggies and fruits and maybe some more teething crackers...he really likes those!

Anyways, just thought I'd update with what my little sweet boy has been up to. If he's anything like his big brother he'll have a real healthy appetite. I have a feeling that our grocery bill will be getting maxed out soon! I wonder what they'll be like when they're teenagers! Yikes!

Happy Tuesday!

*Grace*

Eli: {6} Months

We sure have been busy bees lately, and with the hustle and bustle of the holidays it has been hard to set aside time to get on this ol' blog...but, I just HAD to update it with little mister Eli's 6 month stats...especially since I know I will forget them if I don't write them down, haha! (Sorry, Eli, I'm just trying to keep things real!) ;)

Last week at his 6 month check-up Eli was 25 and 1/4 inches long, weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces and his little noggin' was 17.5 inches. According to one growth chart calculator that I looked up Eli is in the 22nd percentile for height, 52nd percentile for weight, and the 90th percentile for head circumference...so, it sounds like he's a short, tubby little dude with a pumpkin head! ;) He must have lots of brains in there like his big brother! ;)

This pic was taken at Thanksgiving. It is my sweet sister, Gail and her son Cole posing with me and sweet lil' Eli in our BabyHawks.

We love you, precious Eli! Happy {belated} 6 month birthday!




*Grace*

My Two Lil' Monsters {in Cloth}

About a month ago we switched over to cloth diapers (Rump.a.rooz pocket, one-size diapers that I purchased here) and we...and I mean me!...absolutely love them! Changing diapers is so much more fun now, and I love washing them and getting them ready for my sweet boy to use again. I pretty much love everything about my cloth diapers...the way they contain the mess, the fresh, clean smell they have after the wash and of course the cute prints...so, when I got in a couple more that were matching I couldn't help but to put Johnathan in one too! So, here are my two little dudes sporting their "Lil Monster" cloth diapers.

Aren't these little fluffy butts too cute?!!

Johnathan is now into the silly smile stage where it is almost impossible to get him to give me a nice smile...ugh! And Eli, well he was too intrigued with the little silver box that mommy had up to her face to smile at all! ;)

*Grace*

I'm {Dreaming} of a White Christmas

I have got the Christmas itch...and although I have doubts that I'll wake up to a white Christmas, I am ready for all the fun the holiday season brings...the problem is, I am almost totally clueless as to what gifts I'm going to give this year. Usually I have a rough idea of what I would like to get the people on my list, but this year my creativity is definitely lacking! What's a girl to do? I need ideas, big time.

Last year Christmas came and went, and our sweet, almost 2 year old little Monkey had to have his Christmas morning sweets stuffed in his "Baby's First Christmas" stocking...because, well, I was too lazy and didn't get around to buying him a "real" stocking. This year though I will be ready with this cute stocking for him, courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids, and also with a coordinating one for baby brother Eli! I am in love with these boyish Christmas stockings, and I can't wait to fill them with goodies for our two precious sons.

(Pictures from PB Kids)

If you have any good Christmas gift ideas, feel free to pass them along my way...I have a long list and I am short on creativity! I really need to get my act together!

*Grace*

Feeling Nostaligic & Wanting a {BFF}

This morning was weird. Out of the blue I started aching for someone I've wanted for a long time...a "best friend forever"...or as Anne of Green Gables called it, a "kindred spirit or bosom buddy." Now, don't get me wrong, growing up with 5 sisters I sort of have an instant circle of friends, and I do consider my sweet sisters (and my mom) my best {girl} friends on earth...but sometimes I just want someone to pick me as their "best friend"...I want someone to have a choice in wanting to get to know me and to pursue a friendship with me that would last a lifetime. Is that silly?

Growing up I never had a huge group of friends, and there was a time when it seemed like I didn't really have any friends at all. I remember distinctly feeling so lonely for a comrade, especially after one of my really good friends had moved away. Fairly soon after God brought someone into my life that really helped to fill that good girl friend void. We became fast friends, best friends, and we did everything together. It was great. Then college came, circumstances changed and the person that I thought I could count on forever was gone.

Fast forward to today. I don't know what got me into this nostalgic mood...maybe it was seeing some pics of old childhood friends on facebook and yearning for yesteryear...probably...and probably also from feeling somewhat isolated here in our current "home town"...sad, we've been here 4.5 years, and the friends we've made are so different, for the most part, in their choices of how to live their lives that it really isn't possible to have that forever kind of friendship with them. Generally speaking, the lifestyle of doctors and the circles of friends that surround them are so extremely worldly and so out of touch with any kind of moral standard that becoming close friends is difficult. You really start to feel like an outsider and with residency schedules being so unpredictable it's been hard for us to plug into a Christian community. I miss being able to talk to someone, a friend, who loves Christ.

I know that friendships require give and take...when it's all one way or the other it doesn't make for very good grounds for a deep friendship to grow on. I am not trying to say that I've always been the best friend, no flaws, no faults...but I have often felt that if I don't keep giving and pursuing my friendships that they will just fall apart...and in fact, a lot of them have. I have felt though that if the other party isn't willing to give to the friendship that maybe it really isn't a friendship worth pursuing anyways. Maybe this isn't the right kind of attitude, but sometimes I am just plain tired of keeping up with people who are just as well without me in their life. So, I stop trying and the friendship fizzles out. It stinks.

Every once in a while someone comes along that I get really hopeful about...we come from similar backgrounds, our values line up more or less and I'll try to initiate a friendship. Seems that everyone is already set in their group of "good friends" tho, and I feel like I'm back in high school, wishing to be a part of their "clique"...but feeling like an outsider who doesn't belong. And, I admit, I'm jealous of those people who have had their best friends since they were young. That must be so amazing to have.

Well, this post doesn't need to be a total pity party. I am very grateful for the friends that I do have in my life...my amazing husband, who is truly the best of all best friends...aside from Jesus, of course...my sweet sons who are perfect little companions, my wonderful parents, my precious brother and sisters, and my extended family...seriously, who could really ask for more than that? I am blessed beyond measure, that is for sure. And who says you can't be best friends with your family? Maybe that is how it should be. Whatever the case, I guess the most I can do is keep offering up my friendship and be the kind of friend that I want someone to be to me.

*Grace*

Eli Update & Some Pics

First off I want to thank you all for your prayers for our sweet Eli...his little body fought off the RSV, and he is now on the road to recovery! We have a follow-up visit with his doctor in a few days to check how he is doing, but from all appearances he seems to be doing much better and the RSV symptoms are pretty much gone. Good thing too, because now he is in full teething mode, and his little gums are really kicking his booty...and ours too! He is NOT sleeping well at all, always is chewing on his fingers and drooling like crazy, and no matter what we try to do to help calm him down it just is not working! Aah! I am seriously sleep deprived (and poor Dada is too) and can only function once I've had my morning cup (or two) of coffee. Plus, with the time change my lil dudes are back to waking up around 6! Not fun! So, you can now kick your prayers into high gear for Eli's teeth to come in, and to come in quick! Mama needs her rest!

I realize I haven't posted any pics in awhile, so here are some from the past few weeks. Enjoy!

Johnathan enjoying the dolphins at the aquarium.
Eli & Mama
Me and my boys...and the dolphin!
Dolphins are so graceful and playful too!
Hey there, big guy!
Enjoying beautiful South Texas!
Is there a doctorate in Johnathan's future???...looks like it!
Our little doctor, all dressed up for Halloween!
"Yay, I'm a doctor like daddy!"
Having fun at the fall festival.
Our little pianist!
Eli getting a breathing treatment...usually he screamed his head off, but was very calm this time.
Poor, sweet baby!
The boys in our room watching Toy Story 3 while I did laundry!
This movie is priceless!
Hello, Eli! Sweet boy!
Our precious Monkey boy!
Just to prove how much of a puzzle genius Johnathan is...he now likes to do them upside down, just looking at the shapes and trying out different pieces 'til he finds which ones fit where! It is so fun to watch him work his puzzles!
Concentrating!
Ta-da! Good job, buddy!

*Grace*

Keep Eli in Your Prayers

I just wanted to write a quick post to have all of you keep our sweet Eli in your prayers. He got sick last week and got worse as this week progressed. He has RSV (clinically, although he tested negative for it, but he has all the signs), and there is not much we can do besides stay on top of his symptoms since it is a virus. We have to give him oral steroids 4x per day tapering off to once a day over the next 2 weeks to help open his airways. We are also giving levalbuterol breathing treatments through a nebulizer to help his lungs to open as well. He is having a little trouble breathing even with the treatments so far, and of course this has us concerned...but I am trying to NOT freak out. I am still focusing on the truth, and I know that Jesus will be with precious Eli every step of this illness until he gets better. Still, it can take 1-2 weeks to fully recover, and I am hoping for my sweet boy to get well asap. Thanks for your prayers.

*Grace*

And The {Truth} Will Set You Free

..."Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”... -John 8:32

This verse very aptly describes the latter part of last week for me. Both boys ended being sick, seems they share germs as well as love and they both had some upper respiratory issues and double ear infections. The early to mid part of the week I was really struggling with them being sick. Not just from being worn out from sleepless nights, but from an unhealthy fear that I was going to lose them...they were far from being that sick, but my mind had me convinced that things were worse than they really were. I was having a hard time eating, I felt an ache in the pit of my stomach every time they coughed and I was overall just being eaten away by my fear. It wasn't fun.

Then, I think on Wednesday, I called my mom. I was crying, felt totally out of control of the situation (which I was) and just needed some advice and encouragement. I can't remember the exact words that my mom said, but the gist of it was that I needed to focus on truth. I was letting my emotions control me, and I was listening to lies that were leading me down a scary path. I was trying to get my emotions under control, but nothing was working because I still was not focusing on what was true. My mom gave me some practical advice, true things to think of, and asked me what lies I was believing about the situation. Seems so simple, and yet it totally changed my perspective, and once I began to focus on the truth the lies weren't able to permeate my mind.

This "new" revelation of focusing on truth has truly been life changing. I mean, seriously life changing. Once I began to focus on the truth...that Jesus was watching over my babies, that kids do get sick and that it's actually good for them to in order to build up immunities, that we were on top of the situation by addressing their illnesses with prompt medical care and the necessary medications, etc...the lies that had me nearly paralyzed were unable to enter my mind and render me frozen in fear. And, once I was able to focus on truth my emotions began to change. Instead of being fearful and scared I was able to just spend time being compassionate to my two precious boys, I could carry on with our daily activities and not just pace the house feeling all out of control and crazy. The truth has truly set me free, and this principle of focusing on truth has carried over into other areas of my life already as well. When I'm tempted to feel sorry for myself about one situation or another all I have to do is to think about the truth of the situation and poof, those lies that try to wedge their way into my life get squashed...and it's hard to feel sorry for myself when truth is staring me in the face. Truly amazing!

Anyways, I just wanted to share my experience with {Truth}...and of course, just as a reminder to everyone of WHO truth is...Jesus! He IS The Way...The Truth...and The Life. Without Him there is nothing, and we can only know truth because of Him.

Happy Tuesday!

*Grace*