Weekend at Eli's

The last few weeks have been very hectic. Visiting scientists from Tuesday to Thursday conspired to kidnap the middle of both weeks. Nights were filled with business dinners, except for Wednesday, when we hosted the business dinner and about 25 other lab folks at our house for a BBQ. Fortunately the visitors are now all gone and we are returning to normal.

What else has happened in the last few weeks when we've been too busy to write? Eli is getting better at eating every day. He is now using a spoon (tentatively) to push mushy vegetables into his mouth. He is also getting more experienced trying to manipulate soggy Cheerios from his high chair. Twice in the last week, we've tried hard to cook our dinner early so we could eat as a whole family. While Shelby fed Eli, we ate our food and talked about our days. We suspect that Eli will continue to improve his ability to eat 'real' food and we will be having family meals that approximate 'dinner' really soon.

Last week we also got to take Eli to the Farmers' Market, which is pretty much ground zero for Madison parents to mingle while admiring large gourds. Though it was crowded, we had a nice time on a beautiful Saturday morning.

Eli is becoming more mobile with each passing day. He can now scoot himself 360° in a circle. He also falls and rolls, so we have to be cautious that he isn't going to fall into corners or walls. He can press himself up with his elbows and knees too. He isn't crawling yet, but Shelby and I both suspect this will be coming soon.

He is also spending time outside while Shelby and I work in the yard. Last weekend we planted Pachysandra in the backyard. Eli sat contentedly on his blanket while we planted and weeded. This afternoon was a bit chillier, and Eli's tolerance for the blanket was lower. We received a truckload of mulch, though, so getting it off the driveway and onto the yard will be priority for tomorrow.

The nights with Eli are also getting more routine. I don't think Eli has woken more than once per night in the last two weeks. This doesn't mean that Shelby and I are any less tired; we have been getting to bed late because of work/dinners. Hopefully that will begin to settle down in the next week.

Fortunately, the weather has finally gotten nicer and Madison is enjoying its two weeks of spring. Shelby and I have taken advantage of the nice weather to walk to Bluephies for dinner once a week. Eli enjoys his stroller for the first 45 minutes of the hour long walk. He consistently gets fussy at the same spot on the way home. Perhaps we will be able to gauge his development by the length of time (or lack thereof) that he is willing to spend in his stroller? We have also been able to take Eli out in his jog stroller. He seems to like the stroller well enough, but it is hard to push up hills. For us, it is like running on a treadmill while holding onto the hand bars. It messes up our strides and uses up a lot of energy. Hopefully we will acclimate.

Lastly, Shelby and I played soccer together for the first time in more than a year last week. Eli behaved himself well while our babysitter Emma kept him safe and entertained. Tomorrow, for Mothers Day, we will play together again. Hopefully Shelby will score!