Yabba Dabba Doo!

We had a fantastic Halloween this year!

Eli was invited to a rollerskating party the Friday of Halloween weekend.  It was a private party for a brother and sister.  The brother, Wyatt, has CP and is in a wheelchair.  It was a costume party...so it gave Eli a chance to wear his costume twice!

They allowed special accomodations for the boys to go out onto the floor! :)

I had so much fun skating with my boy!!!

I googled "costumes for wheelchairs" a few weeks before Halloween...and there really aren't a whole lot of options!  But, the Fred Flintstone (and his car!) caught my eye.  I think I spent about $5 to make his costume!

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Saturday night it was pumpkin carving time:

Yes, we watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!  It's tradition!

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Sunday was Halloween.  My husband was disappointed that I didn't get Eli's stroller decorated as Fred's car  I bought the white material, and had the idea in my head, bu just didn't quite know how to make it all happen.  So, he went to work out in the driveway....and came up with the most fabulous Flintstone Car ever!!!

Our community has a big Halloween party at our Civic Center.  Eli's costume was a big hit!

I was so happy that we finally got to go out on Halloween!

(The last time we tried, Eli was 2, and he threw a fit for 1/2 an hour and we went home.  He goes to sleep so early, that I hadn't tried it since.)

(Professional photographers were there taking pictures!  Click the picture to go to their website)

Now, I'm trying to think what to do for Halloween next year!  How do you top a Flintstone mobile?

Christmas Catch-Up

Thought I better get my Christmas Day pictures posted before the year is over!!!

We had a fun Christmas morning at home....

Then we went to Lonnie's sister's house with his family, for dinner in the afternoon.

Annual Family Portrait In Front Of Someone Else's Tree:

Next year we are going to set up the tripod and get one in front of our own tree!

Then on Monday the 28th, the sun came out, it was a whopping 36 degrees, so we bundled Eli up and took him outside for his final Bronco ride of 2009.  Good thing, too, because it's been snowing ever since!

I think Old Navy needs a handsome special needs kiddo in their ads, don't you?

I'm going to send this in to them......since he's all decked out in Old Navy gear :)

Happy Mother's Day!

As the family photographer/historian/scrapbooker....I rarely get in the picture. 90% of the pictures of Eli and I together are self portraits.
So, finally, on my fourth Mother's Day....someone took a picture of us together!
Yahoo!

Hodge Podge

Random pictures and thoughts...as I suffer from a little writer's block.....

Summer foliage is on it's way...

The trees are blooming and sprouting all kinds of interesting things...

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MC Hammer pants...

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The cool Temari's made by my sister Shiela.

Want to know more about them?  Click here!

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Tina, Eli's caregiver, came up with the clever idea to put velcro on the top of her shoes, and the bottom of Eli's, and she walks around the house with him!

I came around the corner of the hallway the other day, and saw this:

My heart skipped a beat and it took my breath away!  To see Eli standing in our living room was shocking!

Amazing!  and. Wonderful!

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There was a "movement" to wear orange yesterday while baby Stellan had heart surgery, and so we joined in.  There is an amazing photo gallery of people around the country (and world) wearing orange for Stellan! 

You can see it here:  Orange for Stellan Photo Gallery

Here is my submission to the gallery:

Here are some out-takes from the photo shoot:

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And finally.....as of last Friday, I am now 37.

Really?  How can that be?

But, as my Momma used to say, "better than the alternative!"

I am blessed in so many ways. 

I thank the good Lord for his provisions, his protection, and his priceless gift of salvation!

My Baby and Me, a Cute Little Octopus, and Dog named Cliffy

I've ended up making it a tradition for Eli and I to have a little "self-portrait" photo shoot together on Valentine's Day.  Since we don't really get our picture taken together unless I take it...it's special to me to have them each year to look back on, compare, and reflect. 

Can you believe I don't have a single picture of us on a Mother's Day!?  Hello!!

Each time a do a photo shoot, I probably take at least 20 pictures....in hopes of one or two "good" ones.

WELL, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS:

Seriously, folks.  Could he be a model, or what?

This is one little handsome dude God created right here!

(But, why does the camera have to not focus on such an amazing shot, though?  Grrrrr!!!)

Hugs and Giggles.  Who could ask for more?

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When introducing a new toy to Eli's World, we usually play with it just a little at a time and let him get used to it slowly.  He's never liked a toy the day we brought it home!  Then we place it on his blanket...so he can see it often....and roll over to touch it if he chooses.  We bought the Octopus for him in October.  Just this month he's decided to start grabbing onto one of his legs....and just hang out with it. :)  Is that cute or what?
Eli doesn't usually hold on to anything longer than a second or two.....but with Mr. O - he'll lay there like this for a few minutes!  It's a pretty cool toy.  If you press the top of his head he plays songs....and then each leg is a piano key.  Hopefully Eli will get strong enough to squeeze the leg and hear the sound it makes!

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And then there's Cliffy.

If you'd like to adopt him he's available through Wags to Riches Animal Rescue.

A Colon Cleanse for Eli

I try to get Eli a Giraffe everytime we go to Seattle Childrens Hospital.  Here is today's new friend:

Well....Eli's so full of poop his eyes are brown.  Sorry - just a silly thing my Momma used to say.....and I couldn't resist :)

Today, after a visit with Dr. Wahbeh, the GI Doctor at Seattle Children's Hospital....it was decided that Eli needs a colon cleanse.  Nice.

Cerebral Palsy wreaks havoc on your muscles and their movement.  We knew that.  Turns out one of the muscles it can affect is the ol' Sphincter muscle!  Plus, he's just not fully getting rid of his "junk" and he needs a little help.

So, we begin a regimen of Milk of Magnesia, Miralax, and Suppositories.  I'll be sure to keep ya'll posted about that!  I'm sure you can't wait to know more about Eli's bowel movements!  Let's just hope it solves the problems we are wanting it to solve:  to calm him down, take away his discomfort during feeds, help him be in a better mood during the day, and to sleep through the night so he can get his whole night feed.

Let's hope we are finally on the path to wellness for Eli!

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After a beautiful sunny day in Seattle, with the temp at the top of Snoqualmie Pass being 51 degrees....we come home to a socked-in valley....frozen fog....30 degrees...and this...

God's beauty is so amazing!

God just thinks of everything, doesn't He?

A Search for Answers

Oh, if Eli could only experience this kind of peace when he's awake, too.

It's been another rough week for our little guy!  Fourth time in the last two an a half months.
We are off to Seattle tomorrow to see the GI doctor and a Nutritionist.  Please pray that we are on a path to SOME ANSWERS!  It's very hard to watch your precious child be in such pain and he can't tell you where it hurts!

I'll update this post when we know more. 

Thank you for praying for Eli....always....

Happy New Year!

Couldn't ask for a better way to ring in the new year....

than a picture of us together...with Eli smiling!

Taken New Year's Eve.

He's laughing at Baby Einstein's version of "Old MacDonald Had A Farm".

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Good Morning 2009!

The snow kept falling....

and by 11:00 am we had: 

4.5" of snow

Welcome to our Winter Wonderland!