Fluids.

I took Eli shopping last week. To clothing stores. And now I remember why I don't like to take Eli shopping. It's not enjoyable or relaxing at this stage, he's squirmy and rightfully curious about everything. 

Plus he has had some, um, loose stools as of late. I got that remedied in the back seat of the car, thankfully no poop touched anything, but before I could get a new diaper on he decided to giggle and pee. And pee some more. And some more. With constant laughing. Apparently watching his urine hit the back seat was pure delight for him.

Seriously, boy parts cause boy humor.

I'm only blogging about this so I don't forget. And maybe I'll share this when he's sixteen to some girl that's being flirty with him.

So I had to de-clothe him and stick him in his car seat. Then I realized I forgot my much-loved new water bottle in the store. Palm-to-forehead. I couldn't bring my diaper-only kid into the store to retrieve it. So I called them, they found it and I southernly-nicely asked a random gentlemen in the parking lot to run in and get it for me. He was helping an old lady (his grandma?) carry her purse so I figured he'd be nice to me, too. Thank you random stranger for the help!

The water bottle? Def worth finding. It's a sippy cup for adults. It totally is. You bite on it to get the water out. But you don't have to tip your head back. I drink more water with this thing. The Camelbak is quite the fad these days (Greg says all the women at the fitness center have them) and now I see why. The only down side is Eli figured it out and now he feels like it's his giant sippy cup. I may have to get him one.

You might want one of these.

Once home I cleaned our back seat of the aforementioned urine and I must say, having great cleaning products makes any spills and messes and bodily fluids much less stressful. I don't really bat an eye when our friend's kids spit up crazy amounts all over (seriously, it's happened twice). I don't freak out when our furniture or carpet is bombarded with grossness because I know I can get it out. This is my plug for Norwex. Even if I didn't sell the stuff, I would still use it because it's so darn easy, it works wonders, using no chemicals. I honestly can't imagine what parents do without an enviro cloth handy to clean up spills. If you don't have one or have no idea what I'm talking about, please talk to me. Especially if you are type A and tend to freak out at messes. Like me. See how much Norwex has changed me?

I'll end with our last Sunday afternoon post-nap kid. We were exhausted as a family and Eli woke up early from his nap. I brought him out to the couch and we all fell asleep to football on TV. Eli woke up the second time really disorientated and it looked like he had a really rough night... you know, the what-did-I-do-last-night look. His hair was all disheveled, his shirt half-buttoned, pants falling down, couldn't walk straight. I, of course, took a photo but it doesn't quite do the moment justice. Greg and I were crying laughing.

Wow.

Okay, that's mean parenting. I'll really end with some much more adorable photos of our biggest blessing.

-Heather

NC. Yes Please.

The China crew will be coming back this weekend so I figured I'd post one last barrage of photos from our time in the mountains... mostly for one wonderful Grandma that needs to see her grandkids!

Reading stories online.

I adore this photo (and these boys).

A very short walk from the lovely home we stayed at was this little piece of history...
one of the first highways that is still undisturbed (Old Cherokee Road).
With a really cool Lord-of-the-Rings-esch gate! Notice the walking sticks in hand.

Tried to get a shot of the kiddos in their pajamas and this one is fun, 
minus one little man that would have none of it...

He wanted to do this instead (draw). Such a little introverted artist.

For Uncle Chris #33

Ah.

Wearing my TOMS and loving those leaves and (not so)
secretly wanting a phone with instagram for moments such as this. 

What a great weekend to enjoy family and fall in the mountains.

-Heather

October 15.

This is our third National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. We'll light a candle tonight at 7pm. All around the world people are lighting candles (at 7pm in their respective time zones) in honor of their babies that are not on earth with them. If you let it go for an hour, it's a continual 'wave of light' across the world for a day. I'm not really into candles (or waves) but I suppose I am today!

I took a few photos of Eli with Maelee Bear this morning. This is my favorite. He will sometimes run and grab M's Bear and give it to me... he fully expects me to stop whatever I'm doing and hug it because that's what I did the first time he handed me M's Bear. It's quite fitting, really. 

Yesterday I spoke briefly at church about this day. I had asked awhile back that our church say something about this day, about remembering our children in heaven no matter how or when they lost a child, about the fact we do not grieve without hope. Thankfully I didn't lose it except the one time I looked at my friend who had a miscarriage recently... it was hard to keep focused on speaking. But it was good, I had a few older women come up to me that had losses years ago and they were glad for this time of remembering.

I used some money my dad gave to me to honor Maelee to buy this gorgeous bouquet and invited families to come up after the service and grab a flower if they had lost a child. Yellow roses are the symbol of baby loss, I guess, so we went with that theme/color. It's nice to see beauty in the midst of pain.

Join us in lighting a candle tonight if you'd like. And I think it goes without saying, please remember Maelee. We miss our sweet girl.

-Heather

E & V.

Just a few shots of Eli and Vivi (who is six weeks older than Eli but about ten pounds lighter)!

Cousin Love.

They both LOVE to get thrown up in the air by their daddy's.
Also, check out that marvelous staircase!

"Don't cry, cousin. I didn't mean to eat all your food."

I asked them to give me their best deer-in-headlights look.

We faced Eli's car seat around for the first time and these two had some fun "talking" together.

-Heather

K Fam Zoo Takeover.

We had less than 24 hours with the China crew in Columbia... but we made sure a zoo trip was had! Great memories with these precious ones!

First stop: parakeets!

My great SIL working it with a parakeet nesting on her head!
Also, Marian was not a fan of these loud birdies!

If those other people weren't there, this would be a great photo of Vivi talking to this bird.

Da Boys!

Uncle Love.

Vivi saw me bend/squat down like this to take her photo...
all weekend she kept imitating me like this!

Isaiah is quite timid but I caught him take a quick pet of  Mr. Giraffe.
Marian did love these animals and would have spent all day there giving them lettuce.

This sweet, timid boy did brave the ropes thing with his uncle...
though they didn't venture too high!

This is the face he made at our traditional stop at the koalas.

-Heather

The Four.

We delight in all of our nieces and nephews. We get to see our three stateside nieces occasionally (once/twice per year) though not often enough. But our two nieces and two nephews that live in China... well that's only once every three years. Sigh.

So our long weekend with them was delightful. Crazy. Insane. Loud. Joyful.

I loved being able to watch, in person, how they are growing and shaping and becoming. Such personalities!

I have a barrage of photos to share. But I wanted to share four individual shots of our little people first.

Isaiah - 6 years old

Marian - 5 years old

John - 3 years old

Vivian - 18 months old

Sweet.Ness.

Isn't this precious?

So grateful for these four and their parents. Especially grateful that we will have one more weekend with them soon that we hadn't planned on (which made saying goodbye on Monday easier)! We also get a few weeks over Christmas with all Greg's immediate family. Treasure!

We love you four and are grateful for how the Lord is shaping each of you!

-Auntie Heather

Cousin Love.

Isn't this so sweet?

And Jill around means I'm actually in some photos!

More to follow!

-Heather

What's Missing?

Us!


-Heather

Thanks, Betsy, for the photo!