Eli's First Camping Trip

October 2 through 4 we got to go on Eli's first camping trip!!! We went to Morrow Mountain State Park and had a really good time. We had been wanting to take Eli camping all summer and finally found time in my work schedule and were able to get the rest of the fam to come too. We have decided to turn it into an annual thing. We camped with Wyatt two years ago at Hanging Rock, last year we "camped" at Lake Norman (in the house we were moving into), and now this year at Morrow Mtn.

Some of the trip highlights were the amazing weather, even though it had been forecasting rain for the weekend, a canoe trip, spending Friday night around the campfire listening to Great Horned Owls, having smores and pudgie pies and hearing coyote's calling early Saturday morning. The kids also kept us on our toes wanting to wander around the campsite and surrounding woods. Eli was a trooper, but would not nap in the tent so he took all of his naps in the van, after a short ride. We also got to experience the dropping of the acorns; the campground was in a beautiful oak forest, which in early October proved to be dangerous!

The night we arrived Eli had a grand time banging the two mugs together.

Eli and Grandpa eating lunch adjacent to Lake Tillery, before our canoe trip.

Claire, Alison & Matt in canoe #1. Mary, Wyatt & Dan in canoe #2. I don't know if Claire started with the paddle or not, but once she got it she kept it!

Wyatt looks so small in this picture.

The Gwinns.

It was pretty chilly on Sunday morning. We didn't have mittens for Eli so he has two pair of socks on his hands.

The cold didn't dampen his spirits any!

Cuddly morning with Mama.

We were all a little sleepy Sunday morning. Such a cute Father/Daughter picture.

Our "new" tent. We actually bought it when Eli was like 2 months old because REI was having an awesome sale and this was our first time using it. As usual REI has made a great product and I really like the tent.

Our tent that we used two years ago, the two man Half Dome on the left, no room for baby or pack-n-play :-)

Eli was so cute in his beanie, also bought at REI on sale. He is also wearing fun fleece pants that I wish I had in my size :-)

Grandma and her grand-babies.

Andrea loves the pic we took of Wyatt at the campsite sign two years ago so we took one of Eli.

The original pic from 10/07

We also got one of all of the kids.

The deadly Chestnut Oak acorns! These suckers were falling all over the place and at high velocity too. Dan & Mary's car and Alison & Matt's car both got dented, Matt got hit in the head, Mary got hit on the leg, and every now and then you would hear one or twenty coming and take cover!

Renfrows in Troutman

We got back from Indiana on a Wednesday and on Friday morning Eli and Andrea packed up again and left for the Triangle. Andrea helped host a lingerie shower for her college and post college roomie, Churchill, and babysat/hung out with her sister and her kids.

Andrea, Eli, Alison, Wyatt, and Claire all came back to Troutman on Tuesday afternoon. It was fun, but hectic, having all the kids at our house. Claire "The Carrier" made it even more exciting by passing a cold through everyone but Alison, a one night fever which ended up turning into Hand, Foot, & Mouth, and crazy spots on her tongue which we think were "Geographic Tongue". Eli also added to the excitement... see below.

Alison also brought her new bike and trailer and we christened it in the Park!

Andrea and Eli awaiting the debut of the trailer.

The kids loved it, though the close quarters got old half way through the ride and ended in screams and a lot of pushing. We stopped near the end of the ride and separated Claire and Wyatt by putting Claire in Eli's seat and tried to put Eli into the trailer and he would have NONE of it! So I ended up walking Eli and my bike back.

Off for the first bike ride.

Look out, here they come.

Rear view.

Claire and Wyatt loved their helmets, and would ask to wear them around the house and not want to take them off.

Eli added to the excitement with our first call to poison control (1-800-222-1222 ADD IT TO YOUR PHONES, in NC). Eli was in the pack-n-play for a nap and we have no idea how he got the shoes. They were a foot away and below the rim if the pack and play. He had to reach over the rim and down to grab the box and then lift the whole box up. Well he shredded some of the paper, which you can see in the upper right of the picture, but he also chewed on the desiccant silicone package, all the glowing pink balls. We did not notice at first but 30 or so minutes after nap time Andrea came running out of the room holding the chewed up bag with the words "DO NOT EAT" all over the package. Well, thankfully it is non-toxic and Eli is fine, but it got the blood pumping.

We are usually very strict about keeping Eli from watching TV since he's still little, but the Renfrows watch some shows and we could not pack for camping with how demanding all three of the kids were being. So, we turned on the TV and it must be instinctive, either that or he gets it from his dad! I love this pic! (Though I don't really like how mesmerized they get.)

Eli's new and old things

It seems like every day Eli is doing something new. He also has things that he has done for a while that are very cute.

New Achievements:

• Took his first steps yesterday, 10/5/09.
• He feeds himself with a spoon.
• Can push his walking toy and turn it around (really more of a WHIP it around) when he hits an obstacle! (very fun to watch)
• He has cut his eighth tooth.
• He squeals like the teakettle when he sees it on the stove or hears it from afar!!!
• Pulls his "pull toys" (a helicopter and pelican that have a string on them to be pulled around) after him as he crawls around the room.
• He will sit on his bottom when you ask him to.
• He will scream really loud and then put his finger to his lip and sush himself :-)
• Pushing toys to the gate or coffee table and then standing on them to get higher, probably to get to the good stuff on the table or over the gate :-)
  

Oldies but Goodies:

• He loves to hold things that have handles like his hammer, shovel, sifter, or a wooden spoon.
• Dancing, to all music!!
• Clapping, when anyone else does, even to applause on TV.
• Waving to passer-bys.
• Blowing and giving kisses and hugs.
• Makes his excited face (though now he will do it when you ask if he is excited)
• Pushing cars, trucks, and tractors around the room.
• Crawling over to a pillow or blanket, or almost anything soft, on the ground and laying his head down for a second.
• Loves books, and will hand you the same book over, and over, and over again... especially books with animals.
  

Things he says:

• Mama
• Dada
• Hi
• Night-Night (at nap and bed time)
• Doc (our dog's name)
• All Done (at meal time)
• Cheese (when you take his pic)
• Apple
• Turtle
• Down (with the hand motion for Doc)
• Sit (with the hand motion for Doc)
• Book
• Ball
• Amen
• What's that?
• Juice
• Choo Choo
• Nana (for banana)
  

Of course most of these are not enunciated very well, but some of them are done quite well and I am certain a stranger would know what he is saying.

Animal Sounds:

• Cow
• Dog
• Monkey/Gorilla
• Elephant
• Lion
• Snake
• Giraffe (chews leaves... a silly thing from his mama)
• Alligator (chomps his teeth)

I am sure we missed some things but we are loving every minute we spend with the little guy. We just got back from his first camping trip and all had a great time. He loves to be outside and was sad to come back inside when we got home. Eli is also a man's man (baby), he reaches for dada, grandpas, and uncle Matt etc. frequently and with gusto.

Eli likes to climb into this camping chair also,
to just sit or read a book.

Chicago Wedding & Indiana Trip

On Saturday, September 19 we drove up to Fort Wayne, IN, Andrea's birthplace and the home of her humongous extended family. The original purpose of the trip was to go to Robbin Hsuing's wedding, a friend from growing up in NY, but I was able to get more time off and we stayed through Wednesday. There was a lot of driving, 10 hrs to IN, 7 hrs the next day to and from Chicago, and then three days later 10 hrs back to NC.

We had a blast at the wedding and really enjoyed spending time with Andrea's family!!! Eli was a trooper, with the change in his schedule, and as always was super cute and entertaining.

Entering Chicago, we missed the first few minutes of the ceremony because we had to stop and buy a tie, because I left mine on the bed in NC, and there was Bears traffic! :-(

The view from the reception. It was a great hotel
and a beautiful wedding and reception.

The meal was great!! The steak is mine and the chicken is Andrea's, it was a great steak!! Andrea was full on appetizers, which were also amazing!! Crab cakes, coconut crusted shrimp, and tenderloin with cream cheese and a pickle (or something of the like)!

Cake time!

The first dance!




We were seated next to a Cello and Guitar player who were playing some wonderful music. Eli loved it!! We was dancing the entire time they were playing and after almost every song he would turn and face them and clap! He was entertaining our whole table and the musicians!

While in Indiana Eli loved walking around while holding your hands. He probably did a hundred circles in Andrea's Grandparents house and definitely cruised the wedding.

The three guys.

Anne, Robbin, and Eli. Eli loved being held by Robbin and it was great to see him again. Anne is so sweet, while we were eating dinner a present was delivered for Eli just in case he needed more entertainment. He loved the toy and it was a fun surprise!

Robbin's family loved Eli and Eli loved them just as much. Robbin's dad danced with him and took him all around the room. Robbin's mom and sister also played with Eli. As we were leaving Eli was still reaching for Robbin's dad wanting to dance more...

The Gwinn's at the wedding. I have a crazy lean
in this pic because Eli is a big boy!

We didn't take many pics outside of the wedding but this was a fun afternoon at Michelle's new house playing Cranium Turbo.

Austin, the little guy upside down in the pic, and I enjoyed wrestling at Michelle's. Another day we went for a "Nature Hike" on a very cool green way with Andrea and Angie and found some acorns, hickory nuts, and a buckeye.


This video is Eli being silly at Grammie's. He does the crazy face when you ask if he is excited. He also tells me "down" and does the hand motion, like we do for Doc, during the video.