Little Eli Guy #6: Months 18 - 23

Hey Scholars,
Today marks the last day of Eli's 2nd year of life and it has been an amazing journey to witness so far. Eli has become his own person and I'm blessed to have been able to watch him grow thus far.
 Some of the highlights of Eli's life the last 6 months have been:

• Speaking in full sentences
• Running
• Recognizing letters and repeating them
• Interest in playing the guitar (and singing)
• Interest in reading books
• Grooming himself (brushing and combing his hair, washing his face and hands, putting on and taking off his clothes, etc.)
• Potty Training!

Eli has become such smart little boy. He's very tech savvy for a toddler. He can navigate Android interfaces better than even I can. He'll watch you do something and can usually mimic it very closely. I really enjoy watching him go about his day as I work from home.
 Even though Eli has been developing amazingly the past six months, things have not been perfect. Eli had a slight run in with his G6PD a few months ago. It left his legs scarred and his body covered in rashes and hives. We visited the ER and he was given steroids that cleared up his condition within the first 48 hours. Since then, I've been a lot more conscious about what I feed him. No beans whatsoever, I give him as much fresh fruit and veggies as possible, and I read the ingredients on EVERYTHING. I have also limited or completely cut out most soy products and I make a lot of his meals myself instead of buying them prepackaged. Eli has had very little breakouts since I've started following these rules. I'd like to keep it that way.
 Goals I have for the next six months:

• Document Eli's life more often through writing and pictures
• Teaching him to count to 10
• Teach Eli the first 10 letters of the alphabet and have him recognize the letters
• Let Eli explore nature more often
• Have Eli play with other children more often

 Picture Time!

Potty Training Time!

~ Until next time friends ~
 ♥ Domonique & Eli ♥

Eli & His Favorite Chair

Hello Friends! In our living room there's a chair that sits in the far corner of the room. It's beat up from years of wear and tear, but very comfy and a great place to read a book with a cup of tea in the evening when Eli is asleep.
Lately, Eli's become tall enough to climb on the matching ottoman and wiggle himself into the chair. He loves the way it rocks when he moves around and he giggles and smiles the entire time he sits in it, however long that may be. This chair is no longer fair domain, it belongs to Eli now.

Chair: Purchased by my Grandmother | Shirt: Hand Me Down | Overalls: Oshkosh |
Sneakers: The Children's Place

~ Domo ~ Facebook | Twitter

Little Eli Guy #5: Major Picture Update Post | Months 13 - 17

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, so this is going to be a huge picture post! What is Little Eli Guy Doing Now?
As I'm typing this, Eli is asleep nearby. He's snoring loudly and rolling around, waking up briefly to make sure I'm still in the room. In the past few months since my last LEG (Little Eli Guy) post, we have had so many adventures together and reached all his milestones. Since the last LEG post, Eli has:

Visited Historical Landmarks in the city.

Little Eli Guy #4: Up We Go!

What's Little Eli Guy Doing Now?

This week Eli has managed to pull himself up on  e v e r y t h i n g.  I have no idea what to do with him! He pulls up on tables, chairs, his stroller, the media center where the TV sits, me, and even on people we don't know, if you're not watching him closely enough!

After finding him in the bathroom trying to play in the toilet, I decided it's time to baby-proof my house. My house isn't child-proof and never has been. In fact it's barely adult-proof! There are so many hazards and small things that Eli can get to since he is mobile, things I never worried about before. Where do I start? I'm a duck tape kind of girl, but I don't think that duck-taping my house is the solution.

Besides that, in physical therapy, Eli has been doing so well. Learning to clap, stand up, and trust someone besides Mommy has been a struggle, but we're here and it feels great to make progress. I am anxiously awaiting and dreading his first steps. I don't think my nerves can handle Eli actually walking around unassisted.

And that is what Little Eli Guy did this week.

How Am I Managing This Week?

This week I started working out again and finally managed to sleep well because Eli is sleeping on a schedule. Sleep feels like making love. I want to crawl into my bed, slide between the cool sheets, and hug my pillow until I can't stand it anymore, then I fall asleep. I think I'm cheating with my mattress at this point. Now that Eli is mobile, sleep is my new lover and I'm happy to see Sleep every night.

What Are My Plans for Next Week?

The weather won't be horrible so I think I'd like to go running and maybe take Eli to the park. He's never been to a park before and I think he would be excited to see other kids and a real swing.

I also think a trip to Target for baby-proofing supplies and time with my friends might also be in the cards. It would be awesome to see someone who isn't a toddler. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll go out on a date without Eli.

We shall see about the last one. That's wishful thinking at best. I'd be just as happy if he slept through the date and the place we went to had Long Island Iced Tea.

Until next time friends, peace, love, and green tea <3

~ Domo ~