Fun with Uncle Sam and Aunt Heather!

Well, I guess they aren't technically an Uncle and an Aunt, but they are close enough! Sammy is home for a few days before he leaves for Kuwait, and Heather was nice enough to share him for a couple hours so we could all hang out and play with Eli.

I have known Sam for like EVER and I love that he and Heather have found each other! I'm so grateful for both of them in my life, and I can't wait for him to get done with this deployment and get home to Heather. :) I don't wish anyone to have to go through a separation that my Ryan and I have gone through, but maybe God has had us go through this trial so that we could help others through their own. I know that Sam and Heather will make it through this, and I know I will help them with whatever they need! I love you guys!

Oh, Please ignore the Dook Hat! Trust me, I've tried to lead him away from the Dark Side!

I will lose the weight!

Do I sound confident if I put an exclamation mark at the end?! Today I decided that my flabby post-pregnancy body has lingered long enough! I went and purchased some running shoes today, so that I could go walking. (Mom appreciated the irony, I did not) :)

Well, this afternoon after Eli's dinner, Eli and I packed up and headed to the Mall to join the Senior citizen's of Shelby to walk the mall. :) I have always made fun of this geriatric past time, but when push came to shove, I was NOT going to walk outside in the near 100 degree heat. I managed to walk around the interior of the mall 4 times and was planning on going at least one more time, but Eli was getting bored and starting to fuss. I feel I must confess that our Mall is close to the smallest in America, but it still was a feat for me post-pregnancy! I felt very accomplished, and I hope to make this a habit. Who knows, maybe one day I'll actually fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes! My goal is to feel better about myself and to look as good as possible for my hubby when he returns.

Wish me luck!

Pics with Pops

Somehow I didn't manage to get these uploaded while I was in Georgia, but I wanted to make sure to put these up when I got back home. :) Here are a few pics of Eli playing with Pops on the bed. We really did have a good time in Georgia and it was good to visit with all the family and friends there. I know Ryan would love to have been there with is, but Eli and I represented for our little family! ;) I'm sure we'll be heading down there again sometime soon!Hold on tight Eli!

Eli's first time in the grass...

I know... I am posting pics like crazy, but he is just soo cute I can't help it! :) The grass looked so inviting, so I sat Eli down in it. He didn't seem the least bit phased by it, so that's good. He's 2.5 months now, so time is flying by!

We took quite a few other pics outside too and even have some with the dogs, so hope you enjoy...

I don't know about this grass...

Uhhh...Whatever...Lily is my friend!
Flying Baby!
Yeah... That's my puppy...
Awww, Rebel! Why you gotta lick me?


Me and Mommy and her messed up hair
Me with Gramma and the puppies in our family
Lily is so funny!

A few more pics of Eli in Georgia...

Just a few pics of Eli with his Gramma Leigh-Leigh, Proud Uncle Russ, and Eli's puppy Rebel! :) Hope you enjoy!

Also, here is a little collage I put together for Gramma. :)

Some pics of Eli and his Gramma Leigh-Leigh...

Just a few pics of Eli with his Gramma Leigh-Leigh and playing with his playmat again. :) He is getting so big and he is about 10 weeks in these pics. He is seriously growing up way too fast!

Eli playing with his activity playmat

Okay... Eli got an activity mat at his Baby Shower from the Church Food Group that put his baby shower on. Well, we finally set it up and let him play with it. Let's just say he likes it. :) I'll let you watch and find out. Oh, and ignore me cause I sound stupid. :)

Bouncy Fun

Well, I finally set up the Bouncy Saucer that Eli got at his Baby Shower courtesy of Aunt Nay, Uncle Chris, and Cousin Haylee! - Thanks Again!

It is so cute, and Eli is still too small for it as he needs to support his head really well to play in it, but I couldn't resist trying it out, but we didn't choose the best time to do it cause he was already fussing a little bit as he was overdue for his nap. Well, this made for some cute pics, so hope you enjoy! :) Poor kid. :)

This isn't so bad...

I don't know about this...

Okay... I'm done!!

We start em young around here...

Can you believe he's already in a band? Or does he just hang out with the band? :) Anyways, after changing the most disgusting diaper in a while, I decided to change his outfit and thought I would take a few pics of little man cause he's so cute. :)

Also took some pics in his favorite swing ever! I love this swing as it is a lifesaver! He seems to really like it with the mirror mobile that he stares at until he falls asleep. (vain isn't he?) I like it cause it cradles him and he is almost completely reclined and he can swing the traditional front to back or side to side, so I can change it up if he starts to get a little fussy. Anyways, hope you enjoy! -swing courtesy of Barbara, Shorty, Bondi, and Jada! Thanks Again!

Being sick is no fun...

Well, when we brought Eli home last night he was mildly fussy from the shots, but after his 7 pm bottle he went right to sleep in his cradle swing and slept until about 2 am. Well, I had taken his tempature before I gave him the bottle at 7 and he had a 99.0 under his arm, which I didn't find out till later meant it was actually 100.0, so when he woke up at 2 he was boiling hot, so I gave him some children's tylenol and took his tempature and he was 100 which really meant 101, so after his bottle he wouldn't go down anywhere and didn't want to lay with me in my bed, so we sat in the recliner, and I do mean sat, because everytime I tried to lay down to get more comfortable he would fuss big time. Around 5 am he got really fussy and I couldn't handle the little sleep anymore, so I took him up to Mom and she fed him and brought him down to put in his swing at about 6:15 and he thankfully slept till about 10 am, so I got a chance to sleep. Oh, when he woke up at 5, his tempature was around 98.7, so that was really good news! He has done a lot better this morning and actually was smiling at me as I talked and played with him. :) I just put him down for a little cat nap, so here's to hoping he is my happy boy today!

doctor visits and needles oh my!

Let's start with the good news... He is 8 wks 3 days today and weighs 14 lbs 5 oz and is 24 in long! He was 9 lbs 7 oz at his 2 week check-up, so he is 2 oz from gaining 5 lbs in 6 weeks! He also grew 2 inches, so he is well on his way to being a tall Stroud man! There was a newborn in the office today and he looked like a giant compared to her! Our little man is getting so big!

Now to the not so fun news... Eli got his shots today, and it was no fun for all concerned. He was laying on the table happy and cooing while I held his hand, then the Doc sticks him and his eyes just bug out with this horrible, shocked, how could you mommy look, which morphed to the loudest screams he has ever had! :( The Doc gave him 3 shots, but he was really quick about it and before you know it he was scooped up in my arms and I calmed him down pretty quickly. He has been acting mildly fussy, but just a tired fussy since them. He actually smiled at me when we got home. :) I was proud of myself for not crying, but it definitely wasn't fun. Here's hoping for a halfway good night! Here are some pics of one of his first booboos! It's really hard to take pics when I am holding him, so they aren't very good!

Family Pics...

Well, I am either lazy or just plain forgettful cause I am just now editing some pics that we took downstairs in my mini-studio when Eli was 5 days old! (He's 8 weeks old today)

It was so miserably hot and Eli was fussy when these were taken, so I guess I wasn't really paying too much attention cause a lot of the shots were really dark, but anyways, here are a few that aren't too horrible. Hope you like them!

The rest will be in the Stroud Shutterfly page, so you can get them printed if you so wish. :)

The Stroud Side

Pops and Gramma Leigh-Leigh with fussy Eli :)

Swaringen Side

Little Strouds