The Baylor Family Blog

One thing I am learning with having a baby is how much he changes. He changes diaper sizes, clothing sizes, preferences, toys, etc. etc.!The other day I was trying to organize Eli’s closet since we’ve been pulling out some new things and putting things away that he no longer uses. While organizing his closet, tumbling off the shelf came the shopping cart cover in the picture below that my parents bought for Eli last Christmas (before he was born)! I haven’t pulled it out yet because he can’t sit in a shopping cart yet. But as I was looking at it (and trying to figure out how it would fit onto a cart), I remembered it could also be a tummy time mat! I’d been lugging his other tummy time mat all over the house for him since it is a favorite of his right now. So, I thought I’d give this new one a try, and Eli immediately latched onto the new toys and loves playing on it! I put a mirror in front of him so he can watch himself play. Its amazing how two months ago he could care less about toys and now he wants toys all the time (I’m sure it’ll only get worse!)…and I’m amazed how stimulating new things can be for him. But for convenience sake, it sure is nice to have a tummy time mat upstairs and downstairs now!!

After church today, the three of us headed up Highway 24 for a hike to Horse Thief Falls. Matt and I had attempted this hike last winter, but due to the amount of snow, ice, brutal wind and the fact we couldn’t follow the trail very well, we turned around before we hit our destination. However, the warmer summer weather made this quite an enjoyable hike today! The falls actually had water (you never know what to expect in Colorado), and Eli was quite fascinated with the moving water. I think Eli thought a giant bathtub must be filling up somewhere We’ve hiked to other falls this summer, but it seems this was the first time he was interested in them. I’m so thankful that Eli does so well on hikes and that there are so many beautiful places nearby we can enjoy!!

Right after I posted last time, our little boy stopped sleeping quite as long at night and has been enjoying waking up between 4-5 am for the day. We are hoping its a phase and are trying different ways to help him sleep longer. We haven’t had success yet…but hopefully this week we will! Its very tiring getting up that early…especially after our bodies started feeling what its like to get a full night of sleep! Eli also appears to be coming out of yet another growth spurt, too. He’s pretty much finally wearing all 3-6 month clothing now (which is good as he’s coming up on 6 months soon!). Eli also has been gnawing hard on everything this weekend, but still no signs of a tooth poking through. Poor guy!

On another note, we are finished painting the front of our house…yea!…and only have a few spots of trim left on the back of the house. It seems like a never ending project, but the house looks really nice! I’m not exactly sure why we chose the heat of August to paint in

With the business of this past week, we were thankful for a time to be in God’s beautiful nature today!! We are now home and refreshed. Sigh.

Today marks the completion of our second year of marriage. Though two years may seem like a short time, Matt and I have walked together through a lot already, and we look forward to walking through so much more together in the future. I never dreamed I would be pregnant on our first anniversary and taking care of our 5 month old little boy on our second anniversary! Who knows what our third anniversary will hold!? Its amazing how God can use another person to shape and sharpen another, as God has used Matt in my own life. I am so thankful that God gave me Matt, my best friend, to spend the rest of my life with. And I’m so thankful that my little boy has such a special daddy! So happy second anniversary to us!

This past weekend, we took on the enormous task of painting our home! We braved the heat, and are grateful to Matt’s brother, Than, and our friends, Andrew and Kristi, for helping us! We hired one of our neighbors, who has painted professionally in the past, to learn the tricks of the trade and use his equipment. Despite the setback of the borrowed sprayer breaking on Saturday, we are nearly done with only a few areas of trim to complete. We tried to match the color, but it turned out to be a little lighter blue and brighter trim. But we are happy with it, nonetheless! I’m just thankful we won’t have to conquer this task again for several years!!

Matt balancing on the extension ladder and painting trim.

Eli did great this weekend! Despite all the commotion and people walking on the roof and working right outside his window while he was napping, he remained in a good mood and napped well. I do, however, think he’s in a growth sput, as he has been feeding every two hours and sleeping a little extra. He enjoyed laying in the grass, playing with his rings, and looking all around!

Have I mentioned how much Eli likes his bumbo chair and his rings?

Eli recently discovered his toes and can often be found holding them with his fingers when he is on his back!

Matt, Eli, and I hiked 8 miles (round trip) to the Ramsey Cascades in Smokey Mountain National Park. The hike was long, but the waterfall at the end was absolutely worth the hike! Matt lovingly carried Eli in the Baby Bjorn the entire way to the falls and most of the way back.

So here is a picture of Eli in the “take home” outfit I had bought for him to wear home from the hospital. Haha…he’s 4 1/2 months old and its still big on him. What was I thinking??

My Aunt Carlean and Uncle Jimmy drove up and spent some time with us in Knoxville, TN and got to meet their great-nephew. Aunt Carlean was lucky to get a few moments holding Eli, as Uncle Jimmy was playing with our little guy every moment he could!!!

We also spent a few days and nights with my brother, Brad, his wife, Andrea, and their little girl, Callie in Indy. Callie called Eli “I-la” and willingly shared all her baby toys with him. How sweet! We all enjoyed a night out for dinner at Texas Roadhouse and a walk on the canal together.

Eli meets his Uncle Kevin and Aunt Jennifer. They opened their home in Knoxville, TN to us for 4 nights.

Matt, Eli and I at Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin on a hike.

Matt mowing my parents very LARGE yard and enjoying every minute of it!

Eli at his first baseball game in Pigeon Forge, TN. He’s sporting his new baseball outfit picked out by my dad…very appropriate for the ocassion