Changes in the Boys

Making sugar cookies and having a messy, yet yummy time doing it! Look at Evan's "ahh shucks" face.  Cute!

Can we fit another in there? 

The boys are changing so much in many ways other than the obvious size.  I always joke and say that Evan has been a challenge since conception and came out swinging at birth!  He was our high-maintenance child...minor health problems (colic, reflux, skin), he fussed a lot, didn't eat well and just seemed hard to keep happy. He is very active and keeping him still in a high chair, stroller or store cart is a challenge making going places with him not easy.  He wants to stand up and move around.  He was not a kid that liked to snuggle and be held really either..and I especially hated that!  He would stiff arm you when you held him and would pull away.  Some of those things are still true, especially with him being active.  However, lately he seems like a new kid!  Ev's health is great and he seems happy most of the time.  The biggest change we notice is how extremely sweet and loving he has become!  He wants to be snuggled now and gives the sweetest hugs and kisses.   He loves his bedtime routine, which involves cudding in the glider with some books and a couple songs before being tucked in.  He will tell you exactly what he wants, "Mommy, books!" and when I'm finished reading I'll turn out the light. He will then say, "Chair. Sunshine." and point.  That means he wants me to sit and hold him and sing You are My Sunshine.  I love our bedtime tradition together, but I definitely let Cory have the opportunity too.  Sooner than later we'll undoubtedly be putting both boys down together when they share a room and this tradition will change. Another amazing change we see in Evan is how polite he is at such a young age.  He says thank you, please and sorry frequently and without much direction (sorry is the one where he needs the most).  He even says thank you to other kids when they hand him things. Evan will say excuse me if he burps or if he needs to get by you.  It makes us so proud that he is like that!  We get compliments on it all the time.  Most decent parents work on these things with their children, but not all kids pick it up like their parents want them to.  We are very thankful for that in Evan.  Other changes in Evan are that he is all about Mommy lately!  Wow.  He can't seem to get close enough to me and wants me around all the time. He says, "Mommy" all day long, climbs me like a jungle jim and wants to be held by me only when I'm around.  I know he senses a change coming soon.  This is also evident in the fact that Ev now demands his pacifier pretty much constantly!  He went probably 6 months with only getting it at naps and bedtime and now he asks for it all day.  It's tough dealing with this regression and we plan to tackle the problem later after the baby arrives and things settle. A sad change in Evan is his signature cheeks are going away some.  We dreaded that; they are sooo kissable and adorable!  Overall, Evan is doing great and is growing into a very amazing, loving kid. 

Eli has been going through some drastic changes over the past 6 months, especially since preschool started in Sept.  Eli is very sweet, compassionate way beyond his years, verbal and extremely smart.  He was always a very quiet and easy kid (although the 3's have been a little challenging ..whew, sassy and attitude in full effect).  Eli has always been very reserved and almost awkward socially.  When we would take him to a park or other kid play area, he would cling to Cory and I totally intimidated by the other children.  He wouldn't initiate conversation and if a kid tried to talk to him, he would walk or run away.  I would take him to something I would think a normal kid his age would enjoy, like the preschool library class where most kids LOVED it (singing, dancing, acting goofy) and Eli hated it.  Our kid-friendly vacation last summer was a disaster because Eli wouldn't interact with anyone and he was just miserable.  This trait of Eli's was very frustrating as a parent and Cory and I both were worried.   This is the biggest change we see in him and we are still in shock at who he has become today! Eli's teacher tells us that he is the class leader, yet he doesn't realize it.  When I asked her what she meant, she said that Eli likes to play by himself because he has an insane imagination that apparantly the other kids can't keep up with, but when he is ready to play with other kids they are all jumping at the opportunity.  They all love Eli and the kids follow him around doing whatever it is he is doing!  It is shocking how he has come full circle with that.  His teacher said he is one of her favorites too and he has won several awards for manners and being a great listener.  Eli has always been a people pleaser and will tear up if he thinks he is in trouble or someone is disappointed in him.  He talks and talks and talks..at school, to complete strangers, anyone that will listen.  Eli will now jump in and play with anyone and initiates conversation with other kids.  Eli went to Evan's library class with me the other day and I couldn't believe the kid!  He was singing at the top of his voice and was getting into the dancing.  It was so adorable.   Eli was almost too sweet and passive to the point of being a push over (we were worried he would be bullied).  This too has changed and I think Evan is an influence.  Eli is still sensitive, but he sticks up for himself. At home if Ev is not being nice, Eli will handle it.  We turn our cheeks a lot and let them work it out.  I was at the mall play area the other day and I witnessed Eli push a kid.  Of course, I said something to him and he told me that the little boy had pushed him first and wasn't being nice.  Funny thing, but I completely believed him because Eli is not the type to do something like that out of the blue. So, I just let it go!  I secretly thought, "Good for you, Eli!"   We are noticing that Eli is becoming more loving and protective of Evan too.  For the longest time we wondered why our sweet Eli wasn't sweet to his brother.  This is slowly changing.  Eli is becoming a wonderful, independent boy and we are very proud of him. 

We think both Evan and Eli will be great role models for our baby girl.  We can't wait to see how they continue to change, especially with a little sister joining our family. We feel so blessed to have them all.