Thanksgiving 2020

We have had a wonderful Thanksgiving relaxing at home, seeing family, and eating all the food. On Thanksgiving we traveled to Star to see Boomer's family. In other years, we would make the trip up to Virginia to see Boomer's extended family, but it was decided that a large gathering would not be wise, so we stayed here in NC with his parents, his brother, his sister, and her fiancé. We had a fun day Thursday watching football and eating non-traditional Thanksgiving food - barbecue, hot dogs, and chocolate cake. On Friday, we had the more traditional meal of turkey, stuffing, green beans, and his mother's delicious mac-and-cheese. The weather was beautiful both days, which allowed us to spend a lot of time outdoors. Boomer and I even fit in a run on Friday morning. Emmy loved dancing outside on the back porch, running around barefoot in the backyard, and especially going "deer hunting" with PawPaw, meaning "going for a walk in the woods." (No deer were harmed, and no guns were involved!) She has warmed up to their dogs and cats, which is good because Uncle Kyle brought along his new puppy, Koda. Although Emmy wasn't really interested in petting Koda, she wasn't afraid to be around him either. In addition to her bravery around four-legged animals, we have noticed that there has been a lot of improvement with her emotional outbursts - we are hoping we have left the three-nager mood swings behind us. That is, until she is actually a teenager and the real fun begins, oh boy! When we returned home on Friday evening, it was a special treat to watch the lights at our neighbor's Christmas display, complete with music through the radio. We have resumed last year's tradition of making a nightly loop around our neighborhood before bedtime.

On Saturday, we had our Bakewell Thanksgiving meal at the Houstons'. Zack again took care of the meats with a deep-fried turkey and chicken legs, and Megan made her broccoli casserole. My mom made her sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, and I got off easy with store-bought rolls, pies, and drinks. We had our meal in the mid-afternoon, and after we ate, we kicked off the holiday season with the classic Christmas Vacation. We have watched it so many times over the years, but the one-liners still make us all laugh. Grandma was able to join us for dinner, and she got a kick out of Eli's crawling and talking. I think Eli has quite enjoyed himself during Thanksgiving; he has gotten his first tastes of pumpkin pie, Cool Whip, and chocolate icing, and he was very enthusiastic for more bites. I think we will soon be moving on from baby food! 

During the break, we also fit in a trip to the Science Center with the cousins, Aunt Megan, and Grammy. The animals were so active, and like our trip to the zoo, we picked the perfect day to visit. 

This month and over the Thanksgiving break, there have been a lot of firsts, including the first joint bath! 

And the first time brushing Eli's teeth! 

Eli has had teeth for awhile, but we are just now adding this extra step to our nighttime routine. Each night, both kids will pile on Daddy's lap while I try my best to brush Eli's teeth. Although he will readily open his mouth, he otherwise doesn't sit still very long, so I have to be quick about it. 

Emmy continues to come up with funny little stories and sayings. The newest thing she has started to request is for Daddy to "be in love with her" or "get in love with her." I didn't understand what she meant at first, but Boomer decoded it first: it means dancing together like the princesses and princes on the Disney movies we have watched. It is so sweet to see Boomer and Emmy hold hands and spin around in circles, usually until they are both dizzy. Emmy has proclaimed that Daddy is her "favorite boy." She continues to learn a lot in school. She can now count beyond 20, and she can write all of her letters, uppercase and lowercase. She has also memorized my phone number and our address. She is quickly picking up on all of the Christmas songs, too. Her memory is amazing! If the Jackson 5 come on the radio with "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus," I try to change it quickly; that song has already brought up some questions!

As the Thanksgiving break comes to a close, we are excited for the Christmas season ahead. Emmy was such a great helper as we decorated our tree. She was very gentle with the ornaments, and she especially liked the ones that had her name on it. She can easily recognize her name, as well as "Mommy", "Daddy", and "Kennedy." I can already see what a magical holiday it will be this year with Emmy and Eli. We have much to be thankful for!

To Our Birthday Boy

Dear Eli -

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since you entered our world. Fast and furious, you were ready to be here. Your arrival was quite exciting; I thought for sure I was going to have you right there on Business 40 in the passenger seat of our Toyota! Luckily we made it to the hospital in time, with less than 30 minutes to spare. I see now that it is just your personality to go full speed and no holding back. You complete our family in the most perfect way, and we are so blessed that you are ours. 

I love comparing you in certain ways to your sister, but I also love the many things that make you unique. While Emmy is a slow eater, you like for a constant flow of food coming to your mouth. You become quite vocal if we are not fast enough. Your favorite foods right now are bananas, sweet potatoes, apples, and sweet carrots from Kimono's. You also like Cheerios, yogurt melts, and puffs. Soon we will introduce whole milk. You have otherwise only had Mommy's milk, and I am so happy to see you getting big and strong. It will be a few more weeks before we go to the doctor for your 1-year check-up. I am anxious to see just how much you have grown. You have mastered crawling, and you can easily pivot and change directions by rocking into a seated position. You have such a powerful crawl stance. Your Daddy and I chuckle at the way you come barreling down the hallway, slapping your hands down and pounding away with your knees. You are pulling up on all the furniture. You are able to balance while in a standing position, but sometimes you lose your footing and end up with a boo-boo. Unfortunately there have been a few bumps and bruises as you explore with your new freedom. You are currently sporting a bruise on your forehead from a recent collision with a corner. Daddy rushed to scoop you up and put ice on it right away, but the bruise and cut still appeared. You are so tough, and you didn't even cry that long. It is rare for you to cry; we see a lot more of your smiles than tears. You love opening and closing doors. I stay close by to watch for your little fingers, but you are fascinated with the swinging motion. Your vocabulary is mostly babble, but "dada" comes out pretty clearly. Your sweet smile and constant chatter bring us so much joy. You love clapping and hearing "yay!" Grammy has been working on other tricks like waving and peek-a-boo. You spend most of your days at Grammy and Grandpa's, and what a sweet bond you have developed with them! I am hoping that the transition to preschool next year will be a smooth one, and I couldn't be happier for where you are right now. It has been an unexpected blessing from the current pandemic that we are living in. I wish we could have showed you more of the world this year. Soon enough we hope to be off on adventures again.   

You are wearing size 3 diapers and your cousins' 12-month clothes. It is fun to see you dressed in their hand-me-downs. We are still squeezing you into the bath bassinet, but we will soon transition to baths in the big tub. (We may have to do separate baths since your sister is pretty picky about her bath toys!) You continue to like sucking your two middle fingers. This little habit started when you were a few weeks old, and I'm not sure how to break it. You seem to mostly do it when you are in your car seat and to console yourself if you are sleepy or upset. Your active personality means that you don't often like being cuddled. You will push off of my shoulder so that you can see your surroundings or reach for your crib instead of falling asleep in my arms. I am glad that you are such a good sleeper. In that way, you are a lot like your sister, and I could not be more thankful. Since you aren't much of a cuddle bug, I love 'wearing' you for our walks around the neighborhood or when we went to the zoo. Until you are off and walking, I am enjoying those moments when I can have you attached to me. 

This year has been a difficult time for our nation and our world. There have been a lot of not-so-good things. We will tell you all about it one day. We hope to remember 2020 for the year of "firsts" for our Eli and for our family of four. We pray that in the next year, you will continue to grow and learn new things. We also pray that you will develop a sweet bond with your sister. There will be so many more "firsts" in 2021, and we are so excited to watch you reach each new milestone. 

We love you!
Mommy & Daddy

We had our birthday celebration at the zoo on Saturday, and then this evening, we had dinner over at Grammy and Grandpa's. As we were loading into the car, I realized that I did not take a single photo, but here are some other recent photos of our birthday boy!

It's been the best year getting to know and loving on Eli! 

UPDATE 12/10/2020: Eli had his one-year appointment today, and he weighed in at 19 pounds and measured 29 inches long - almost identical to his big sister when she was one! He didn't quite know what to think of the band-aid on his finger after the finger prick. He made it through that stick with no problem, but there were tears for the other shots he received in his thighs. Those shots always break my heart! The doctor encouraged us to continue introducing solid foods, anything that is nutritious and not a chocking hazard. Dr. Albright didn't seem concerned with Eli's finger-sucking. He said that Eli would give it up eventually - and we may just have to buy braces! It seems that Eli is otherwise developing right on track. Especially during this year, I am grateful for his health and for how God has protected our family from sickness! Thank you, Lord!

Celebrating at the Zoo

We celebrated Emmy and Eli's birthdays today with a trip to the zoo. Since their birthdays are only 8 days apart, a joint party was always the plan. As November drew closer, it became apparent that a large gathering may not be the best idea as we continue to limit contact and practice social distance. We decided an outdoor adventure with our closest family would be the perfect way to celebrate instead. The Houstons and both sets of grandparents were able to join us, and from the youngest to the oldest, it was a fun day for everyone! 

The zoo is using timed reservations and a one-way path to manage the crowds. Visitors must also wear masks when in the viewing areas, and there are several of the indoor exhibits that are closed. Even with these modifications, the whole visit was a very positive experience. The weather certainly helped with that. Temperatures were in the mid-60s, and compared with some of our previous summer visits, it was so comfortable. The animals must have liked the weather too because they were very active and visible. Eli fell asleep pretty early after we entered the zoo, and unfortunately he missed most of North America where we saw the sea lions, artic foxes, black bears, bison, elk, and ocelot. He woke up for lunch at the Junction Plaza and stayed awake through Africa. The gorillas were especially active, and on the prairie, we got a close view of the elephants. It was really sweet to see the wonder in each of the kids' eyes as we spotted the next animal. Maddox, Zander, and Emmy were often running ahead to the next exhibit as the adults tried to keep up. 

The grandpas hung in there through all the walking! During the second continent, they got pretty good at spotting an open bench to rest before moving on to the next animal. After we completed the Africa loop, we returned to the Junction for cupcakes and singing "Happy Birthday!" Eli wasn't too happy when we set him down on the turf for a photo, but he perked up after he had his first taste of cupcake. I think he quite liked the sugar. Emmy got to blow out candles too. We had individual cupcakes so that no germs were shared!

We spent about 6 hours at the zoo. Eli surprisingly stayed awake on the car ride home, but Emmy was knocked out within a few minutes. Between the fresh air and all of the walking, we will sleep well tonight. There has been talk of making a November zoo trip a new tradition - perhaps this is the first of many birthdays at the zoo!