Just like That

I swear when I picked up the boys from daycare yesterday they were both taller. As I watched them stand next to each other and play last night all I could think is, how on earth did they both grow on the same day? Then this morning Adam was walking in the kitchen and he bumped his head on the kitchen counter. When did he get tall enough to bump his head on the kitchen counter?

Adam is getting really into pretend play. He’s started naming toys. A boat named Sally and a train named Trevor. He can play for hours with his guy guys (Henry’s old action figures) or Army guys (a mixture of Cowboys and Indians as well as old fashioned Army guys). They talk to each other and when Dave and I listen in on his playing we hear him working through some pretty deep stuff. Like a fight he had with a buddy at school or telling kids to behave.

Eli and Dave had a heart to heart last night after I went back to work in the evening. Dave told Eli that he’s 10 months old now, so he has to start saying some words. So then he asked him to say Mamma and Eli said Mamma. Then Dave asked, “Can you say dada?” And Eli went dadadadada. Lastly it was , “Eli say Adam.”

And Eli said “Abam.” And he said it very clearly.

10 Months

I did the 10 month picture a day early shortly after Eli woke up in the morning and he actually sat still for me.

He's turning into my big boy.  He still has stick up crazy hair most of the time and only two little teeth.  He's kind of a vampire sometimes.  He bites and when you tell him no or yell in pain (because sometimes it is painful) he just looks up at you and giggles.  It's so cute that you can't be mad.  I'm hoping we can get the biting thing under control before any more teeth come in.  Judging by his diapers, low grade fever and drool wet shirt he must be teething this weekend.

Eli plays like a big boy now too.  Vroom noises are automatic when a car or tractor is being played with.  And more reciently he's started to really play hockey with a ball and stick.  He hits the ball with the stick and then will hold onto the stick and crawl after the ball.  We also now play catch and throw with Eli.  He holds the ball up and sort of drops it and it rolls to whoever he's playing with.  Then he claps after he throws it.  So adorable!  Like I said he's playing more and more like a big boy and copycating his big brother.

In other exciting ten month news it may be too early to say this, but I don't care, Eli has slept through the night three nights in a row.  The last time he put a couple of nights together of uninterrupted sleep was when he was sick in January, so I'm hoping this isn't just related to the low grade fever he has, but a real transition to better sleep.  Please Eli, sleep!  

And I finally declared victory over the awful never ending yeast infection Eli has had and stopped treating it for several weeks.  Last week we started cloth diapering Eli for the first time since August!  And all week his bottom looked great, but then yesterday the yeast infection came back.  So hopefully this is just a teething thing and I can get him back in cloth again soon.  I just want to use my fluff, but this yeast of Eli's is just not going away! 

My Cuddle Bug

I can't believe how fast he's getting big, but yet he seems to be more cuddly now than ever.  I pick him up and he wraps his little arms around my neck and sometimes when I'm lucky he'll lay his head on me.  I couldn't even begin to count all of the kisses I've laid on that stick up crazy hair.  Eli David, you are a wonderful son and cuddle bug.

Big Boy Cross Country Skiing

Proud Mommy moment.  Watching Adam cross country skiing for the first time!  My parents fount little skis for Adam and we took him skiing.  He’s a natural.  We skied about 25 yards down the trail and when we went to turn around and go back Adam did the perfect pivot with skis on.  He picked up one ski at a time and did a 180.  He was even jumping with his skies on.  Hopefully he'll get to try out the skies in Minnesota if we ever get enough snow.

The Family That Skies Together

I love cross country skiing.  Some of my best childhood memories are of going out to the farm and going skiing with my aunt and parents in the woods on snowmobile trails.  Then we would go back to my aunts house for homemade pizza and movies.  They were the perfect winter Saturdays.

That's me in the heart snow suit- don't mind one ski is completely backwards.

In high school after my several year obsession with down hill skiing I finally came back to my roots and joined the nordic ski team my junior year.  Being on the team was so much fun and it only helped solidify my desire to go to college in the UP where there would always be enough snow for skiing.

Nothing better than skiing in the middle of winter in nothing but a spandex suit- why did I like being on the ski team?

Skiing became more of a fitness routine than an enjoyable Saturday afternoon activity while I was in college.  Probably because I had to squeeze skiing in between my classes when it was still light out and I was skiing alone.  But one Christmas my parents bought David skies and then we all started skiing together when they came to Tech to visit.  Those are the skiing memories from college that have really stuck with me.

And one of our ski trips to Ely Dave asked my dad for my hand in marriage.  It wasn't even an hour later and my mom told me what he had asked my dad.  I guess she didn't realize it was a secret.

I only hope that the boys will share our enthusiasm for skiing.  Hopefully they will have warm memories like I do of skiing with their parents, because I already do with them.

Sleeping Babies

Three years ago we started the tradition of a winter trip staying in a cabin with both sets of grandmas and grandpas.  The trips always involve at least one winter walk and the littlest baby always seems to fall asleep.

Can you figure out which is baby Adam from 2010 and which is baby Eli?

(Eli is the top photo and Adam is the bottom photo- I know they don't look that much a like)

When Most Go South We Went North

Well we're back from our "winter getaway".  Literally we went away to where winter is.  Dave and I graduated from Michigan Tech, so for the first five years of our relationship we called the Upper Peninsula of Michigan home.  When we realized that winter might never come to Minnesota (I used to call it Minne"snow"ta, but this year it's Minne"no-snow"ta) Dave found a cabin on Lake Superior to rent for a week.  Grandmas and Grandpas all agreed to come even though the sleeping arrangements were a little tight.

We had a beautiful view right from our cabin.  It was Winter Carnival the weekend we arrived so we got to watch two hockey games, the Torch Parade and fireworks, walk around campus and look at snow sculptures.  We also went back to the church Dave and I met at for mass.  Little did we know the Bishop would be there to bless the restored Organ they just put in the choir loft.  So mass went a little long, but the boys did great!

We stopped to watch the Hutch Tiger's play Pond Hockey (or that's what Adam thought).  Really it was a broomball game.

Broomball is pretty much the official sport of Michigan Tech.  I enjoyed playing even though most of the game I was sprawled out on the ice

My favorite Fraternity Statue (it got 4th place- but I liked it best):

The first place Sorority Statue which also happened to be my favorite:

There was also plenty of time for playing hockey in the cabin and cross country skiing.  It was everything I was looking forward to and more.  We're already thinking about looking for a cabin to rent for next winter.  This time we're hoping we'll be closer to Houghton and the cross country ski trails.  But it is fun to drive around the Keewenaw and see all of the history in the little towns.

I'm sure I'll post more pictures and stories from our week vacation, but right now the boys are both up and we're going to go to the mall for the Kid's Carnival.  Wish me luck managing both boys by myself (Dave is playing in a volleyball tournament that Adam's Godmother organized).

I don't want to leave

My first work trip since the kids were born (let's face it it's only my second work trip of my career).  I'm a little sad to have to say goodbye to the boys, but I know Dave will do a great job taking care of them.  And when I get home we leave for Houghton and a much needed vacation!  Winter Carnival, snow, skiing and hockey.  Plus time with both grandmas and grandpas.