Eighteen Months Old

Lela, you are eighteen months old!

• You weigh 23 lbs.
• We just switched to size 4 diapers.
• You have decided one nap is enough for you, but that may be because you have a habit of sleeping until 10 am or later!
• You are so happy when you wake up and you sometimes play in your bed for 30 minutes or more. You obviously found your shirt entertaining this day :)
  
  
• Unfortunately, you also found chewing on your bed entertaining as well and despite our efforts to cover the rails on your bed you pulled off the covers and consequently got the touch-up marker all over your nose and mouth.
  
  
• When you go to bed at night you sometimes insist that we put "Bubba" to bed first before you'll go to bed.
• You are talking up a storm. You can say a lot of things but the one I hear the most is probably "Elmo.""Cookie" and "Ish" are a close second.
• You have figured out how to get down from the couch and you can just almost climb up it.
• You are definitely a climber and you are sometimes very creative in how you climb on things.
  
  
• You frequently take me by the hand (or finger) and lead me where you want me to go which is usually the play room or the front door because you want to go outside.
• You love your Bubba and sometimes ask to hold him or lay with him.

• You have decided potty training is interesting but we are not actively potty training you just yet.
• Taking your picture this time was a breeze because I could actually explain to you that I was just taking your picture and not puttingyou down for a nap. I could also tell you to smile and pose and you gladly obliged :)
• You had your first experience with the ice cream man recently and you thought that was pretty cool. You got a Dora the Explorer ice cream which is quickly becoming your second favorite character next to Elmo.I may have gone overboard on the pictures this time but you do so many funny things and make so many faces, I wanted to remember it all.

You are such a sweet and fun girl and it's crazy and kind of sad to think about how big you are. I just know I'm going to blink one day and you'll be a teenager!

One Month Old

Eli, you are one month old today!

• You are 9lbs 14oz.
• You wear newborn diapers but we're about to switch to size 1.
• You are also growing out of your newborn clothes.
• You are always rearing your head back and you're so squirmy, it's hard to hold you sometimes.
• You have been sleeping about 4 hours between feedings at night, but you followed in your sister's footsteps and slept through the night last night! (check it out!)
• You eat every 3 hours during the day and sometimes every 2 hours.
• You are mister serious and you like to stare at the ceiling (we say it's because you're wondering why there's glitter on our ceiling).
• You are not too attached to your paci and you could take it or leave it.
• You're not very vocal and you seem extremely laid back.

You are such a sweet boy and you are easy to calm whenever you get upset. It's crazy to think we have two babies now! You definitely different from your sister and I can't wait to see how you will interact with her.

We have Dr. Shirley on speed dial

So I know I have been slacking majorly on keeping everyone updated on Eli. I don't guess it would surprise you that I have also been slacking on taking pictures of important events. So I'll give you what I have in that area.

Eli's first bath: 9/3/11

(I realize this seems a little late, but the way Eli's umbilical cord fell off it left some exposed tissue that probably shouldn't get wet. And let's face it, he's the second child.)

Lela's first pig tails: 9/3/11, a banner day in the Clardy household.

(Nathan was actually the one that put her hair in pig tails and I think I have decided he is the official hair dresser for Lela from now on ;) )

So we'll begin with Eli's second doctor's appointment. This was August 19th and he weighed 7 lbs 7oz so he had regained his birth weight. It was pretty uneventful except for the fact that the doctor's office had installed a TV in the waiting room with looped videos on various and asundry topics like a proper workout and who married/divorced whom in Hollywood this week. Did you know that quinoa can be brewed like beer? Such invaluable information. It's quite loud and is not easily ignored and the sub-par actors in the medical videos left Nathan and I in uncontrolled restrained laughter. I wish I could remember what it is we found to be so humorous but I have a feeling it was a "you had to be there" type of moment.

Anyway, just a couple weeks later, I found myself back in the doctor's office. We noticed Eli was a little constipated and had the doctor check him out. At that point he weighed 9lbs 4oz so we knew he was getting plenty to eat! They checked Eli for everything that might explain the excessive spitting up (which had increased) and the constipation. After the usual things were ruled out, the doctor decided to do a rectal exam. This made him go immediately and Dr. Shirley said his sphincter was tight he was having trouble releasing it. This was a new word for me (which I'm hoping is the case for some of you as well) and I thought I was experiencing another Dr. Shirleyism. But because she continued to use this word with all seriousness, I realized I would have to look it up since I have a habit of shaking my head knowingly even when I have no idea what someone is talking about.

So, just yesterday we were at the doctor again because Eli had only pooped once since the last time we saw Dr. Shirley six days ago and it was with the help of a suppository so he hadn't gone on his own for a week and a half. Dr. Shirley called me in the afternoon and asked me to come in as soon as I could so she could do another rectal exam and loosen his sphincter. So I packed up the kids without changing clothes or diapers and then dropped Lela off at a friend's house. We got to the doctor's office and Eli was emitting quite an unpleasant smell, but this wasn't anything new because he's had some bad gas accompanying his constipation. So we got in the exam room and I set Eli on the table and I could see instantly that I had just made a pointless trip to the doctor. That's right, he decided to let it go sometime on the way up there. And it was a doozy! I no longer have to wonder what four days worth of poop looks like. On top of all that, I got poop on my shirt so I had to walk out of the doctor's office and pick up Lela with poop on my shirt all the while :)

So, basically I paid Dr. Shirley $25 to weigh him (he came in at 9lbs 14oz, by the way) and look in his ears. I guess that's just Murphy's Law. But I am glad he finally went, the timing just could've been slightly better.

If you want to be added to the list for the daily poop report, just let me know :)