Eli at 3 Months

Weight: 14.4 pounds (75th percentile)
Height: 25 inches (85th percentile)

Eli is such a happy baby. He loves to smile, squeal, and make funny noises. He is very, very content. When he's awake, he usually just looks around and watches what's going on. When he's fussy, he's usually fine if you hold him in one arm, facing out, kind of dangling. Eli LOVES bath time; I can't wait for him to get a little bigger and he can take a bath with Ethan. He really likes to sit under his butterfly play center and look at the toys hanging down.

He eats 5 ounces every 3 1/2 hours. He technically sleeps through the night, but I'm ready for him to start sleeping a little longer. He wakes up at about 5am to eat, then goes back to sleep until 7. (I always work out at 5am, so that's a little frustrating sometimes. There have been times when he waits until 7, which I love!) He still wears size 1 diapers, but only because we're trying to get rid of the last of those- he really should be in size two. His 0-3 month clothes are starting to get a little short for him and he fits well into 3-6 month clothes.

He's rolled over from his tummy to his back twice (at 9 weeks), but hasn't done it since then.

He knows his ABC's and shapes....just kidding. I guess that's about it for Eli!

Father's Day

I have been looking forward to this day for about 10 months now. It's finally here!!!! I have been plotting and scheming to pull off the BEST Father's Day gift ever for my man. It has been soooo hard to keep it a secret.
Are you dying to know yet????

Sooooo... Rachel and I did a combo gift this year. If you know our husbands well, you know Lonnie is a HUGE Ohio State fan and Curt is a HUGE Michigan fan. And of course when they play each other each year, it is a big to-do and lots of fun for them to tease and pick on each other as guys do. Every year they say how cool it would be for them to actually go to a game together, but they knew it would probably never happen. WRONG!!!! We got them tickets to the game!!!! Woohoo! It worked out perfectly - they're playing each other the Saturday after Thanksgiving in Columbus, which is not far from my Grandparents house. So we can spend the holiday with the family up there then the boys can drive up to the game on Saturday.
I love it!!!

Here's the only picture I got as they were opening their gift - it's all blurry, but my camera died after the first picture, so I have nothing else to show. Boo. Check out Rachel's blog - she's got GREAT pictures of it.


The other part of Lonnie's Father's Day gift was that we went to a Naturals game with the Benders and Thibodeaux. Despite the warm (HOT) temperatures, it was actually a ton of fun. Peyton and Ethan had a BLAST, and the whole row in front of us was empty so we could spread out. Every Sunday is Kids Day, too, so we got vouchers for a free hotdog, chips, and a drink for each child. Can't beat that! Luckily I charged the camera at naptime so I at least got some pictures at the game.

CAMP'N

Note to self: NEVER GO CAMPING IN JUNE IN ARKANSAS AGAIN. But we had fun regardless. We just sat around the fans instead of the campfire.

Birthday Party

Lonnie's mom got me this book for Christmas last year, so I thought for her birthday we'd make a creation from the book. It definitely didn't look like the picture in the book, but we did our best!

The candles were made by wrapping a fruit roll up around a pretzel stick, then putting a banana Runt on the top for the flame, and piping yellow/orange around the flame. Not horrible for our first attempt.

Happy birthday, Shirley!

Michigan or Bust

Our big family vacation this year was to drive to Michigan to see my parents, along with family along the way. My dad will be retiring next year and they'll be moving somewhere south (hopefully here!), so we figure this will be our last time to ever be in the town where I grew up and relive some childhood memories.
I have to say, growing up I thought Midland was B-O-R-I-N-G!!!! And well, it is, but not when you're all grown up and have kids of your own! We hit all the hot spots in town and had a blast just enjoying the cool Michigan weather. We played outside all the time; basketball, climbing trees, running, riding bikes, taking walks - it was FABULOUS!!!! I hate that we can only do those things in Arkansas before 8am, when it turns to a furnace.
So....a photo journal of our trip....


First stop, Grandma and Grandpa's house!!! We were so excited for them to meet Eli for the first time. We got to see lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins, too. (Eli spit up on most of them.)

Next stop, MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!

The whole Willis clan after church on Sunday. We haven't all been together in Midland since Rachel's wedding 10 1/2 years ago!

We couldn't all fit around the table, so the kids got to eat outside, which they loved!

Of course, we had to visit the Tridge! They've added an awesome play area since I had been there last.

Poor kid, he doesn't get to do anything fun!

All six grandkids:

More hanging around the house:

A HUGE attraction for the week - climbing the tree that we used to climb when we were little.

Grandma is the coolest - she made Mickey Mouse pancakes!!!!!

Hitting the downtown area:

We had to stop at Pizza Sam's for ice cream:

More hanging out:

This was the first time Keira got to feed Eli - she was very excited, despite her mad face!

Midland Center for the Arts:

The Fun Zone:

More hanging out: (playing Shanghi, of course!)

Chippewa Nature Center:

It was really cold and I forgot to pack a blanket, so Eli got to wear what I could find in the diaper bag - an extra onesie and two burp cloths.

Eli pretty much just sat there while we walked around. I just thought it made a funny picture.

Bath time in the sink:

Dow Gardens: (yea for getting to see Sonja!)

Great Lakes Loons minor league baseball game:

And that was it for Michigan. On our way back to Arkansas, we stopped in Bowling Green for my cousin's 30th birthday party and got to see a lot of people from my Dad's side of the family that we don't see very often, including Grandaddy!

Whew!!!!! It was a whirlwind trip that I'll never forget. The boys did an amazing job traveling; Ethan watched Elmo most of the way and Eli slept most of the way. And as always, Lonnie did a great job driving the whole time!

I will miss Michigan soooooo much!