People in Arizona can't drive!!

I have a pet peeve. It's the fact that a large percentage of people in Arizona don't know how to drive. That's everywhere you say? I'm not so sure. I noticed when we first moved here. First of all people don't seem to understand stop signs. They just blow through them. They don't understand the concept of right of way either. How so? Well, I don't know how many times I've almost been hit because after verifying that it was clear and backing out of a parking space I've had to stop because someone flying through the parking lot just inches around me. When I went to drivers ed I learned that if someone was already in the process of backing up, you had to stop because they had the right of way. Hmm. Interesting concept. Another interesting concept? Yield signs. Yield does not mean always stop. Yield does not mean blast through the intersection. Why do I bring this up? Because I was VERY close to an accident today for the bazillionth time at a round-about (don't even get me started on round-abouts...apparently the Brits are the only people that understand them b/c out here no one has a clue!) I had the right of way because I was to the left and in the round about. Apparently the person that had the yield sign thought that yield means race through the intersection and beat the person who's coming at you. The sad part is that no, he wasn't on his cell phone...or looking back in the backseat at his kids...or any other misc. thing. No he was looking right at me as I'm blaring on the horn LAUGHING! Oh, I was livid. Why do people thing that nearly getting in an accident is funny? AUGH!!! People like that make me wonder sometimes.
Anyway. You caught me on my soap box. So on to something new.
Elijah has not had a night terror in awhile. YEAH! In fact, he has been sleeping very well. Growth spurt I think. Looking at him he has just changed a lot recently. Looks like a little boy now instead of a baby. Boo hoo. Now that he has the (somewhat modified) sign for "more" he is on to a new one..."all done". How helpful at dinnertime is that? Now I can ask him if he wants more or is all done and he can tell me. Now we just need to work on "eat" and "drink". He's one smart cookie so I'm sure that will be soon. He's cute because we always say "more please" and he caught on to the more sign but not the please. Now when he wants something that we have he signs more because he thinks it means please too. Awe..I just love him to death. It's so hard not to squeeze him every second. He's very loving too. I love when he comes over to me in the middle of playing with his cars and just gives me a hug and kiss.
Well. Best be going.

Night Terrors

First of all, Elijah got his 8th tooth. Wow! He'll finally have 4 on top and 4 on the bottom. What a big boy. Secondly, he has been signing "MORE" to us. What a big smartie pants. Thirdly, he's been going to town "RRRMM"ing at his favorite car, Lightning McQueen. What a big cutie. Not so cute? The waking up at 11pm, 1 am, 2 am, 5 am screaming at the top of his lungs, yet still asleep. AUGH! So from friends and online I find out it's night terrors...only nothing seems to say that it's more than once a night...every night. Mostly once every couple of nights. Apparently it's when you're stuck in REM sleep cycle and can be hereditary and caused by stress or lack of sleep. I don't really know what he could be stressing over (what does a 1 year old stress over?) and he gets either one 3-4 hr nap or two 1 1/2-2 hr naps depending on what time his first nap is and how long he sleeps for with that one and he was sleeping 10-12 hrs a night. Supposedly you're supposed to just let them cry and be sure they're safe and can't get hurt. Uh, how exactly can you do that when you're awakened in the dead of night by a earpiercing scream? Of course my first instinct is to run to him and cuddle him. How can you not? Only bad thing is he is asleep and not really responsive to the cuddling. I'm not really sure how this whole thing will work out. Anyone else have this with their kids? I'm just a little concerned because it's more than once a night. Poor baby! From what I read they don't remember it at all that has to be tiring. Sigh....

A Lazy Day

On Saturday we actually got some things accomplished at the house. On the way home from a trip to Home Depot we stopped at the park in the subdivision and decided to relax and go fly a kite. Random, I know but Jake had bought a really nice kite and Elijah just loves it. He loves to try to catch the streamers. It was just a little bit of time but it was very precious.  I know my pictures aren't as good as Jake's would be but you get the idea. Of course Elijah got to go down the slide. Gotta love plastic slides and the static they produce. He had fun going down, even if it doesn't really look like it. He looks a little stressed huh?

Birthday Pictures

I hope you enjoy these pictures of Elijah on his 

birthday. He really enjoyed the cream cheese frosting. He kept licking it the way a little piggy would go to 
the trough. What a little cutie! He wasn't too happy by the time we got to the presents. He was just too tired and not feeling well. Poor little guy. He sure does make some nice looking pictures despite all that!

Elijah's Birthday

It is so very hard to believe that a week ago we celebrated Elijah's first birthday. How time flies! It seems like just yesterday we brought home this tiny (though it didn't seem like it at the time to me!) little bundle of joy, eager to care for his every need and clinging on to each and every milestone that he reached on his journey to adulthood. There have been so many happy and exciting moments..first bath, smiling and cooing, sitting up, rolling over, first foods. I am a little bit saddened that I wasn't the first person to see him walk or clap or say some words. I guess that's what happens when you are a working mom. I guess dads get that all the time so I should just be thankful for what I am able to see. I never expected to go through quite so much emotional turmoil in a year. Turmoil sounds terrible doesn't it? Maybe it's not the right word to use but it sure felt like it for the first 6 or 7 months or so. I have to admit that what I went through gave me serious doubts at to whether I wanted to have more kids or not. The emotional battles just were so great they seemed unbearable. Thankfully I have a great support system and have survived. I have learned that I can't be WonderMom..and that even if it seems like other moms are WonderMoms...they probably aren't. Sure, a select few are but in all honesty what child truly doesn't throw up all over their (or your) clothes when you're late for something, cause your house to be in disarray, your shirt to be covered in "boogies" when they are upset or have a cold, or cause some sort of unforseen problem or setback when you least expect it. I never could have imagined that having a child would cause me to never have a clean house, be completely disorganized and forgetful, wear snotty shirts, forget to brush my teeth or put on deoderant, not have time for a shower, or seriously debate to what degree of dirty floor can a very mobile and quick child eat off of. I also never could have imagined how it would feel to brag to friends about my beautiful baby boy and how he is doing...about how it feels to have him put his little arms around me and give me a big squeeze and plant a big open mouth and slobbery kiss on my welcoming face...how I love to hear his squeal of delight and laughter when he gets a ride on Daddy's shoulders or hears Momma at the door...to see his face light up with every new discovery. It truly is amazing how a child changes us. What a wonderful blessing! I have to say I have been a little saddened lately and I think it's because of how fast the time has gone but I will say I am looking forward to every moment that I have to spend with my special little buddy.

How was his birthday you may ask? Well, unfortunately he was not feeling well at all. He had been sick all week..first with a fever then diarrhea...so he was a bit crabby. I didn't really want to give him cake so I made him a muffin and put cream cheese frosting on it. He didn't eat it but did lick some of the frosting. He was very cute because he kept putting his face down to it instead of picking it up and bringing it to his mouth...he looked like a little piggy going to the trough. He also was not very interested in opening his presents. Poor little guy! Who doesn't like presents? Sunday was a little better and he had a cake at GaGa's and PaPa's. Maybe next year will be better...let's hope so!