Every Day with Eli: April 2011

April 30

Did you come here expecting to read that I had a baby?

Because I didn't.

Or haven't yet.

Or may never. (OK, that one's exaggerating a bit. But it sure feels that way!)

My new mantra is "Baby has to come out eventually." But even that is quickly losing its effectiveness. Luckily, I had a busy day, full of garage saling, a bridal shower, grocery shopping, and playing. That kept me pretty distracted.

Apparently, Chris took advantage of my absence to teach Caleb to drive.

(Can you tell that Chris is making "zoom" noises as they pretend to steer?)

Caleb quickly noticed that the car door was open and insisted we shut it. Because clearly, one can't drive with the car door open.

These boys had so much fun together today!

April 29

Still no baby (we're at 40 weeks, 4 days...), but today was a really good day.

Caleb woke up at 5 am, we brought breakfast to my mom, visited with friends at the park, took a three and a half hour nap (!), played outside (Caleb is learning how to work the pedals on his tricycle!), visited a new park with Daddy, and had a generally fun day. Unless Baby decides to come, tomorrow will be a very busy day, so I'm going to throw tons of pictures of you today in case I don't get any tomorrow.

The new park we visited was tiny, but it had Caleb's favorite piece of playground equipment - a steering wheel.

Chris helped him drive.

After dinner, Caleb got to eat a popsicle. (Don't get too excited- it's made with V-8 splash. We don't eat fun things like real popsicles around here.)

After popsicles, snuggles and sniffs.

Caleb wouldn't give me kisses, but he was more than willing to give me sniffs.

And he tolerated one big, fat kiss from me.

But he barely tolerated it!

What a fun day! It was almost fun enough to make up for our slow-poke baby!

April 28

Yep - we're still waiting.

Five hours of contractions last night fizzled to nothing around three this morning. At least this time I stayed in bed and didn't call in the forces! Baby is officially three days overdue; I realized today that if it comes six days late, like Caleb did, that we will have a May baby. MAY!

After last night, I wasn't feeling so patient today. I was feeling sad and lonely and bored and frustrated. I was in such a funk that I didn't even get any pictures of Caleb today. Luckily, my mom came out this afternoon to entertain us (I'm not feeling very entertaining right now). She took this photo. If nothing else, it features Caleb, the baby in my belly, and me.

This is pretty typical of these waiting days - I sit on the couch, and Caleb plays. I think in this photo, he's asking me to lift him up on the couch so he can look out the window.

Lest you think I'm moping and grumping and terribly unhappy, here's photographic proof that I am still willing and able to smile:

(That baby's looking pretty lopsided - I think it was wiggling like crazy when Mom took this one!)

My prediction? Baby is either coming in the wee hours of the night tonight, or this weekend. I guess we'll see!

April 27

Still no baby.

We had a good day, though - breakfast with Mom and Ryan, shopping, naps, shopping with Jenny, dinner, and hopefully early bedtime. Before we arrived at the restaurant for breakfast, Ryan was talking to my mom about focusing on the postive aspects of the situation. For example, he said, I'm pregnant. That's positive.

He's right. And even more positive is that, despite the fact that I'm two days overdue, I feel fantastic. I don't feel yucky, I'm not uncomfortable, and I'm happy. So there's that. Baby will come when it's ready, and I trust God's timing.

In the meantime, there are rainboots.

I found these on clearance at Target today. They're a little bit big, and Caleb was a little bit concerned about walking in them.

But he gradually figured them out.

I think he's pretty impressed with his new rainboots!

April 26

No baby.

Not even a hint of a baby.

I walked 3 miles today, uphill, pushing a stroller. Nary a contraction.

Our midwife came and assured me I would not be pregnant forever; I would not be pregnant for a year; in fact, this baby would probably come by the weekend. But the fact remains that I am still pregnant.

I'm feeling much more upbeat about this fact today than I was yesterday. Perhaps it's because I've realized that the baby will eventually come out, and it's much harder to care for a baby outside of me than inside of me. I don't know. But I slept over 9 hours last night, and I know that won't happen once the baby comes.

In related news, remember that video of Caleb listening to my belly, saying, "Buh-boom. Buh-boom. Buh-boom"? He was saying the same thing when I took this photo:

Yep. That's my child, lying on the floor, listening to...

a plate.

And making heartbeat noises.

I'm really not sure what else to say about that.

April 25

We almost had a baby today, but Baby thought better of it.

I didn't manage to take any photos of Caleb, but here's a collage of my growing belly (and NewBaby inside of it).

We took the 40-week photo at 2 this morning; unfortunately, Baby changed its mind and decided it wasn't quite ready to come out.

For now, I'm tired and discouraged. Maybe tomorrow will be better; maybe tomorrow we'll have a real photo of Baby for you!

April 24

Our quiet little Easter involved rain, naps, and cleaning. Seriously - if mopping doesn't induce labor, what will? Not that I'm trying to induce labor; I haven't gotten to the spicy-foods, pineapple, castor-oil phase of pregnancy yet. I'm just ready.

The bright spot in our day was Easter dinner with Chris' parents. We had delicious food and lots of laughs as we watched Caleb play.

Caleb gobbled up ham and bread and cucumbers and pickles, then experienced his first meringue for dessert.

He loved it!

(He also made a really big mess, but Grandmother has learned to clean the floors after the toddler visits. Smart woman.)

Then Chris' parents got out an old game they thought Caleb might enjoy. It's called Grabbin' Grasshoppers. Ever heard of it? I hadn't. It involves plastic grasshoppers with springy metal legs and suction cups on their underbellies. You press them down until they stick, then wait for them to pop up and catch them in your net.

It was so much fun, I googled it to see if I could find one for us to have. Apparently, Grabbin' Grasshoppers was only made in 1990 and is now a collectible, selling for anywhere from $50-$90. How funny is that?

Caleb caught on pretty quickly.

Do you see the flying green blur on the left side? Thats a grasshopper.

So much fun!

Every time the grasshoppers went flying, Caleb would squeal and giggle in delight. I'm not sure there's a better sound in the world than a child's earnest laughter. Except maybe a newborn's cry... let's hope we hear that one tomorrow?

April 23

No news here - we're just waiting!

Tomorrow is Easter, but since we celebrated early, it just doesn't feel like it. In fact, we're even thinking about skipping church tomorrow. With NewBaby due any day now, we don't want to risk Caleb getting sick from the kids at church (again). I think God understands that, right?

So. We spent today just hanging out, being a family, waiting.

Chris and Caleb took advantage of a window between storms (it's been storming like crazy here!) to go for a bicycle ride.

Caleb is an avid cyclist.

He loves riding with Daddy!

Then we went out for ice cream cones, and went to the mall to walk.

And now we're just waiting...

April 22

For Earth Day, my boys dug in the dirt.

Actually, they would have dug in the dirt even if it wasn't Earth Day. And they were rewarded for their efforts - they found a worm! Caleb wasn't too impressed. We'll have to work on that.

Then tornados came after dinner and interrupted bathtime. We went to the basement, and we're safe. We still have no baby. The end.

April 21

Today was a busy day, so I didn't manage to take any photos.

However, Chris got this little video right after dinner, and I thought you might enjoy it. It's pretty typical of Caleb the past two months or so, and it melts my heart. Please excuse my double chins.

April 20

It was a ROUGH night.

At 1:30, I had to get up to hold Caleb and feed him a snack.

At 2:30, Caleb was wide awake, so Chris got up and read to him.

At 4:00, Caleb (and Chris!) finally went to sleep.

But.

Caleb slept until 8 this morning, and took a 3 and a half hour nap this afternoon.

The result? I think he's all better!

Playing peek-a-boo with his green hat.

What fun!

Also, tonight I went up to pray with my boys before bed and say goodnight. As I left the room, Caleb said, "Read about... Read about Jesus!" What a cutie pie!

April 19

Caleb woke up this morning feeling like a new man. His fever was gone, he was cheerful and energetic, and we were both thrilled.

This was one of a series of "goofy face" photos we took.

But then he petered out. Sometime around 10:30, this little guy got droopy and grouchy. I didn't think much of it - don't we all have grouchy, droopy moments? - but when he woke up from his nap at 2, his fever was back up over 101. Poor kid.

Honestly, I think it's rougher on me when he's sick. Luckily, Grandma came out to visit and saved the day. She was just the distraction Caleb and I needed, and she got us through the afternoon.

After that (and some Tylenol), Caleb was much more cheerful.

(He's totally into baseball gloves right now. This is his attempt to wear the glove.)

Chris came home from work, and we all immediately left to pick up...

Chris' new car!

After much waiting and much ado, Chris finally has a new car (and I get my car back! Hooray! This mama has been house-bound for too long!). It's a 2011 Honda Accord, and as you can tell, both Chris and Caleb are quite pleased with it.

Did you notice it looks a little bit wet? That's because as we were driving home from the dealership, a hail storm hit.

Really.

Luckily, both Chris' car and mine seem to be fine. People reported golf ball-sized hail from this storm, so it could have been disastrous!

Hoping Caleb is better tomorrow... I'm ready to leave the house!

April 18

It's an early-post day; we have our (hopefully last!) appointment with the midwife tonight at 7:30, and I know I'll want to go to bed early. It's been a not-so-fun day.

It seems like every time we take Caleb to church, he gets sick. Well, that's not fair. We go regularly, and he doesn't get sick every time. But every time he gets sick, it's a Monday after church. Case in point: today.

He woke up crying in the night and felt warm, so I gave him Tylenol and put him back to sleep. This morning, he had a low-grade fever (100.6) and was glassy-eyed and lethargic. Around 10:00, he said, "Mommy, sungle bed." So we hopped in bed (at this point in my pregnancy, you don't have to tell me twice!) and he laid his head down on "Daddy cold pillow". Fifteen or twenty minutes later, he was asleep.

He hasn't fallen asleep in our bed like this since he was an infant!

The rest of the day has been touchy - aside from the fever, I can't tell what's wrong with him. I'm just praying for no vomit, that he'll be 100% before Baby comes, and that I don't get sick, too!

On the Baby front, I think I'm starting to feel like this baby could come within the week. Don't hold me to it, but I'm finally starting to feel... different. Like my body's almost ready to birth this child. I guess we'll see.

Chris should have his new car tomorrow (???), and then we'll be all set for this baby to come!

April 17

Well, it happened.

The day I've been dreading arrived: Caleb discovered hockey.

And he loved it.

While I got ready for church this morning, Chris took Caleb out on the driveway to play. It seemed harmless enough, until Chris got out the hockey sticks and golf balls.

Caleb was captivated by the stick.

He was so excited when Daddy helped him practice a slap shot.

He even managed to hit a ball all by himself with a stick that was twice as tall as he is!

It was so much fun, but therein lies the problem.

Our conversation as Caleb happily played hockey?

Carrie: Chris, when are we going to tell him that he'll never get to play real hockey?

Chris: For now he can play street hockey... (Caleb hears the word "street" and immediately runs toward the street)

Carrie: (rushing after Caleb and scooping him up) I don't know - even that could be dangerous.

Chris: Well, Pee-Wee hockey doesn't involve checking.

Carrie: But what about after that?

Chris: If he's good enough, he can avoid all of the checks!

Carrie: Or, if he's good enough he'll become the target of all of the checks! You're going to have to tell him...

It's just that precious little face, and brilliant little brain, and darling little teeth! I certainly don't want Caleb to end up brain-damaged, toothless, and sporting a mullet! But Chris will have to bear the bad news.

Because to Caleb, Daddy can do no wrong.

April 16

We had such a productive day today!

It involved:

haircut for me

the final cleaning-out of Chris' car

pre-baby cleaning of my car

moving Caleb's car seat

cleaning and installing NewBaby's car seat

lawn mowing

weed pulling

bush trimming

walking around the block (a big deal for a toddler!)

birth pool inflating (and deflating)

co-sleeper assembling (and disassembling)

Chris and I were such rockstars today, and Caleb was a cooperative little helper.

Except.

At dinner tonight, I offered Caleb a pickle slice. I figured he would hate it and spit it out. Wrong.

He. Loved. It.

He loved pickles to the point that he didn't want to eat his dinner, only pickles. After four pickles, we told him to eat a bite of his dinner before we would give him another pickle.

Apparently, we are the meanest parents ever.

He screamed.

He cried.

He begged.

"PICKLE!!!!"

Chris and I just looked at each other.

We tried explaining things to Caleb again.

We tried distracting him.

He just screamed.

Then I got out my camera.

Eventually, he ate a bite of his dinner and got his pickle. Once he figured things out, we finished dinner in peace.

I love my toddler.

April 15

Today Caleb came up to me and said, "Shake! Shake! Shake song!" After a moment of head-scratching, I figured out that he was asking to hear Raffi's song "Shake My Sillies Out". So I turned it on, and Caleb instantly started "shaking". Really, it was more like a twitch, or a vibrate, but he was really convinced that he was shaking his sillies out. And he was very focused on the task.

See?

He looks so serious, but he was really just listening intently to the music and shaking his little body.

Here he's saying, "Shake! Shake!" as he vibrates. What a funny child - he's serious even when he dances!

Also, today is Aunt Grace's birthday, and since she doesn't get to see Caleb nearly enough, Caleb wanted to do a video shout-out. It's a little bit quiet (except for my voice at the beginning) and a lot short, so you may want to turn up your volume and hit "repeat" a few times.

Happy Birthday, Grace!

April 14

This afternoon, I was working in the kitchen when I realized that Caleb was being conspicuously quiet. I popped my head around the corner into the living room, and saw this:

He had grabbed a book, climbed up onto the couch, situated himself, and begun reading.

ALL BY HIMSELF.

I think I almost died from the sweetness of it.

And even better? He was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't even notice as I snapped a few pictures, adjusted my settings, snapped some more, adjusted again. It wasn't until I got right up in front of him that he even looked up.

And then he went right back to reading.

I love this child so much!

(Also, his shirt says, "Whatcha lookin' at?" Aside from the terrible grammar, I think it's a pretty good caption for his facial expression in that photo!)

April 13

Chris took the afternoon off work today so we could go test drive some new cars. Since I know things have been really hectic and stressful for him lately, I decided to forgo my daily nap during Caleb's naptime and bake some special cookies for him.

It isn't much, but it's all I can offer. I know I shouldn't equate food with love, but sometimes the easiest way to say, "I love you" (after just saying it, but whatever) is with food.

Even better than eating cookies alone, though, is eating cookies with Caleb. We don't give him cookies or candy very often, so it's really fun to be able to share something special with him.

It was really fun for both of them!

Then we dropped Caleb at Grandma's while we looked at a few cars. After a long, late dinner, we headed home. Despite the fact that bedtime was an hour later than normal, Caleb was super-cheerful. I attribute this to his appreciation for Mexican food, as well as all of the great Grandma snuggles he got.

After his bath, but before his jammies, Caleb was being so funny that I had to get out the video camera. I hope this video works for you; it's what Caleb does when you ask him to sing.

April 12

Ugh.

This was supposed to be our un-busy, un-scheduled, hang-out-and-wait-for-Baby time.

And then Chris' car died on his way to work Monday.

And then we had to decide whether to fix it or junk it.

And then we decided not to fix it.

And then we had to decide what kind of car should replace it.

And then we realized that we also could try to sell the immobile shell that is Chris' old car.

And now we're busy, and Chris is driving my car 1 hour each way to work each day, which means Caleb and I are stuck at home, unable to run errands or do anything to help with selling the old car or choosing a new one.

I know I'm complaining, but in the midst of my complaining, I'm fully aware that it's quite a blessing that this happened now, and not two weeks from now, when we'll have a new baby to worry about.

So.

Thank God this has happened now, and it's an inconvenience that we can manage.

But I only took crummy pictures today, so you just read through all of that complaining to see this:

(Caleb wearing a hoodie while he plays baseball on the patio)

Sorry. I promise tomorrow will be better. :)

April 10

Today was our last big day before Baby is due - half marathon day!

Chris headed downtown at 4:45 this morning, and Caleb and I picked up Grandma 2 hours later to go cheer him on. It was a fun, FUN morning!

The weather was perfect for us, but brutal for the runners. At 6:45, it was already 72 degrees, and by the time Chris finished, it was above 80. The heat meant that Chris' time was pretty disappointing for him, but I think he did a great job!

Our brand-new BOB was the perfect vehicle for the expedition - it had plenty of room to carry Caleb, his supplies, and two folding chairs. LOVE it! Caleb was a champ during the race, despite the fact that he slept really poorly last night. And this picture? Reminds me of this one:

Caleb had the same pinwheel at the same race last year, when I ran it! I think he understands the purpose of the pinwheel a bit better now.

We brought plenty of snacks to keep us happy while we cheered. However, it ended up that Caleb did most of the eating and I did most of the cheering. Not a fair trade, if you ask me!