Party On

Baby boy was dedicated yesterday at Josh’s parents church, the Gateway Christian Center in Goodlettsville. It was so very sweet. We were joined by Josh’s family, family friends, and my good (great) friend Brandi. Eli was blessed and prayed over, with us praying these words over him and sealing the our prayers with anointed oil. From Ephesians 3:16-21 (Common English Bible) “ 16 I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. 17 I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, 18 I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. 19 I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. 20 Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us; 21 glory to him in the church and in Christ Jes...

We’re having such a nice lazy Saturday. Okay, it’s not all that lazy. The house is clean, a few loads of laundry are done, and errands have been run. I guess it’s lazy in that we napped, went for smoothies, and went for a walk. Eli has been sleepy sleepy today. He finally started feeling better Thursday, thank goodness.I think he’s rearing up for his dedication tomorrow. Maybe I just feel so relaxed because I’ve watched Baby Einstein lullaby and rocked Eli in his rocker for a good thirty minutes, or maybe it was the date Josh and I finally got to go on last nigh. 360 Bistro hit the spot! That burger was seriously the best burger I’ve had. They made it in the top 5 of my favorite restaurants. Of course Fleming’s is still #1. It could also be that we’re planning a little getaway for Labor Day. I digress, whatever it is- it’s awesome. What we bought: A ball to bounce and roll. While at daycare he apparently was falling over laughing at a ball bouncing. We also got 5 Dr. Seuss books f...

We’re one week away from dedicating our sweet baby boy. We spent yesterday searching for the perfect suit for the occasion, but after Eli and Josh got sick we settled for a less formal outfit from a very close Target. The invitations have also been sent out! I ordered some simple invites from Staples, believe it or not. I only had a two week notice so I wanted to make sure they got in on time. So be on the lookout for these invites friends. Our friend Brittanie also agreed to make him a cake! I can’t wait to take about a million pictures. Eli had been sleeping in 6 hour blocks of time again for part of the week (yay!), but then for the past three nights he’s been up every few hours (boo!), Oh well. Our doctor gave us the standard 6 month pamphlet saying that we should let Eli cry it out at night if he wakes up. I can’t do it. I’m of the mindset that he’s crying for a reason, and even if that reason is he wants a little cuddle, it’s my job to meet his needs. Yes I’m sleepy, but this...

This is going to be super short and sweet. It’s been a looooong week- not because of Eli, but because of work. So here’s Eli’s update. W eek 26: 6 Months Old! This week I turned 6 months old! That’s half of one full year! I celebrated by trying pears, which were really tasty. I like to ‘honk’ my mom’s nose and feel her teeth. My favorite thing to do right now is play with the junk mail. I love how colorful the paper is and I like how it sounds when I crinkle it. I went to the doctor and I weighed a whopping 17 lbs 11 oz before I had lunch. I was in the 53rd percentile for weight, the 71st percentile in height (27 inches) and 96th percentile for the circumference of my head! I’m going to be so smart. I have a ‘stork bite’ on my head, just like mom. The doctor said I’m one of the strongest babies she’s ever seen! I think I convinced her that I do pull ups in my spare time. Have a great weekend! -Shantel

This past week was my friend’s last week at work which of course made it bittersweet. Sweet for the short week, bitter because she’s leaving us. Oh, it was my birthday on the 2nd too. Ha! I almost forgot. It seems like we mostly celebrated it last weekend with the Treat Yo’ Self events. I did accomplish (mostly) everything on my list! Friday I had a massage which was amazing. I honestly didn’t think I had any tension; I rated it at a 1. That is, until they started massaging. So many knots. So many. Who could’ve predicted that I’d throw it out today? Well, probably the masseuse. Then Saturday we went shopping and I got 3 full workout outfits. I’ve been using jammies and leftover cheerleading practice shorts and MHC provided tee shirts. It really was not a good look and not fit for actual exercise. I may be vain, but it has been more motivating because I want to wear all the clothes! After shopping we had lunch at Chipotle, a manicure, a jog on the Greenway, and then ice cream. Always ...

Well, I’m doing it. It’s my official ‘Treat Yo’ Self’ Weekend. I have tons of things planned, but I’m realistic in knowing that I probably won’t get to it all. I am trying to spread it out over 3 days, so that will help. On the agenda: Mani-pedis, brunch, a massage, shopping, cleaning my car (which is actually a luxury with my limited time, a clean car makes me feel so good!), scrapbooking, watching a cheesy romantic movie, a jog on the greenway with my favorite men, and ice cream! I’ve already checked off the massage and I have a girls brunch & pedicures tomorrow, so even if the rest doesn’t get done I’m good. Twenty-eight here I come! I keep telling Josh that I’m not really concerned about this birthday because I’ve been thinking I’ve been 28 this whole year. I love getting older. What we bought: Nothing! I love those weeks. But…today my goal is to buy him some sippy cups. It makes me sad! I feel like he’s too little. Wasn’t he born just last week? Invaluable purchases: I th...

This week my Wednesday night devotion really hit me hard. It was about not criticizing others, and leaving the judging up to God. Then, of course, Thursday was really difficult. Our client were attempting to pit us against each other, I feel like I haven’t slept a wink all week because of Eli’s teething, and there was tension everywhere. Now, I don’t know if there was actual tension everywhere or if I only felt that way because of the physical and mental exhaustion, but perception is our own personal reality. I caught myself again and again complaining and just being plain grouchy. Last night, my friend Justin put up some encouragement to stop complaining and find a solution , but sometimes there’s no solution to be found. You can’t stop a person from trying to ‘split’ therapists. You can communicate with each other and support each other- which actually our team is great at doing- but it doesn’t mean it’s not an annoyance. You can’t somehow force a baby to sleep- even though you ca...