Eli home in the afternoon

Just before I got home Lisa was filming Eli trying to put on his shoes by himself. This is longer than our usual videos, but it's late and I don't feel like editing and it nicely captures the quiet little fun we're always having with him as he scoots and babbles around the house.

I come home from work near the end and am greeted by some clapping (not too shabby).

I also walk right by Eli, but I came back and gave a big hug just after the shooting ended, I promise.

Eli in a box

We just purchased a new toaster oven (I know... very sexy) and Eli helped me unpack it. After that Dyker surprised me by putting him in the box. I turned around to see him enjoying that very much and Dyker and I thought he was hilarious. I couldn't capture that laugh with this pic, but it showed the whole scene pretty well.

Eli loves the fridge

Eli just can't get enough of how "cool" the fridge is. If he is watching you as you go over to the fridge you're in trouble. The moment the door opens he makes a break for it. If he gets there before you can close it, he wins! You'll be trying to pry him off for the next few minutes and trying to stop him from pulling everything out. And, if you dare try to close it by pulling him out of the way, get ready for a the lovely Eli to turn bright red and show you his disapproval, as only a 1 year old can.

Brooklyn Botanical - under the Cherry Blossoms

Carla and Jasper made the trip out to Brooklyn today (Sunday) and we went to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The Cherry Blossoms had passed their prime, but it was still pretty incredible. We walked around the big Coy Pond and laid in the grass under the Cherry trees. I wanted to show how he gets around in non-scootable environments. This isn't a great example of that, but the setting was so lovely I just had to share.

Hopefully they'll be new Eli crawling videos and pics soon. And, I don't want to spoil any surprises here, but there may even been some Eli walking videos and pics coming soon too! Assisted walking... you'll see, but walking.

Great day at the park

Eli and friends (Jøsh, Juli, Ollie, Foxy, Fancy and Jonah) had a great time in the park yesterday. It was a beautiful day, one of the first of the season, and we just had to get out and play around in Prospect Park. It was such a simple good time, the best kind. Thanks Saitzes for making the effort to come out to Brooklyn.

Eli playing Hide n' Seek

This just started all by itself. Lisa and I were cleaning up after Dinner and handed Eli a paper bag to keep him busy for a few minutes. Then he started playing Hide n' Seek with it. It was fun for everyone and we just wanted to share it with y'all.

Springtime in Park Slope

This long Winter is finally giving way to Spring.

All the trees are blooming and we don't want to miss a thing.

Magnolias usually only have 1 week a year of looking their best and I think we caught one on the way to the Park last weekend. If you look in the background you can see Lisa and Eli on the sidewalk waiting for me to snap some photos of someone's beautiful Magnolia.

Eli taking "Big Boy" baths

First it was the sink, then it was a little tub that fit in the sink, then it was a bigger tub that we put in the bathroom tub, then it was a little chair that securely attached to the floor of the tub, NOW it's all tub all the time. The normal tub that you and I use to take baths ourselves.

At first he was nervous and feeling a bit apprehensive as he moved slowly out from one corner of the tub towards the other side. Once he had completed a full loop however... it was on! Sliding around on his butt or belly, touching all the walls and faucet, it was a bubble bath bugaloo.

The best part was when he bent his face down into some bubble and made a little bubble goatee, causing me to laugh and therefore him to repeat it. Upon his 3rd repeat, however, he decided to start sipping the tub water and liked it. The next time he did it, he started to really start slurping down the bath water and we had to quickly distract him with something else.

Fortunately, since then he doesn't seem to remember how great the bath water tasted and has not repeated that again.

Eli gets a haircut.

Yes, his shagginess has finally been trimmed down to size. We went to Lulu's here in Park Slope and it was great. Jennifer cut Eli's hair without as much as a wimper. He was just so stunned by the whole place. You get your own little TV to watch from inside a little fire engine... what's not to love!?!

That place knows what they're doing, we ended up buying 2 toys and they give you document stating Eli's 1st official haircut and date with lock of his hair attached in a clear little envelope. A racket I have no problem playing the "john" in.

So much other stuff happened this weekend, but it's late and this is all I can do right now.

New teeth hurt :-(

Eli's week ended up getting worse and worse...

As far as we can tell he has 6, that's right 6, teeth coming all in at once!

When they start hurting, nothing can really fix it. We distract him and look at winodow and walk around the neighborhood and act very silly and bounce around to music and give him hard or chewy things to naw on, but really they are just a brief relief from the ongoing saga of teeth pushing into place.

He's asleep and hopefully dreaming of eating anything he wants with his mighty new teeth.

Ninja Foot Rescue

It all happened in a moment. We were all in the kitchen and I wanted to show Lisa how Eli was taking a few steps towards me. I would put him at arms length away from me while kneeling on the floor in front of him and have him take the 2 or 3 steps towards me.

Well, I put him down to walk towards me, but as I pulled my arms back, he started falling backwards. Somehow, Lisa, (who was standing above us watching) using just one foot was able to catch and hold him by the small of his back and lower him to a sitting position. He had no idea how close he came to a total "nestea plunge" backwards onto the linoleum floor, which would have gave him a good head knocking for sure.

Who would think that those romantic looking, sandy feet could be so agile and powerful?

Lisa and her ninja-like foot saved the day!

Eli's 1st word!

Ok, it happened, the moment we've all been waiting for, Eli's first word! And the word is:

"DYKER"

That's right, he looked at this picture of him and Dyker that we have on the fridge, gave a big smile, pointed to it and said "Dyker". We were excited and sad all at once. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE Dyker, but saying Dyker's name before Mamma or Dadda sort broke our hearts a bit. Sadly, she sees him more than we do, and it makes total sense, but the fact that she sees him more than we do feels just ridiculous sometimes.

Eli is now officially pointing

After a full weekend of Passover and Easter, that was a Cousin filled fun house for Eli... he has learned a new trick!

Full credit goes to Eli's Uncle John.

Lisa said she noticed John giving him lessons and explaining how useful pointing could be, both to non-speakers (like Eli) and speakers alike.

Lisa noted that at first Eli was barely getting it, but by the end of the day he had sort of a weak point going on.

- think, Adam in "God Giving Life to Adam", Sistine Chapel

Then this morning, he was pointing strongly and with authority at everything he wanted and everywhere he wanted to go!

- think, God in "God Giving Life to Adam" ala the Sistine Chapel

Pictures to follow...