5-Months Old

Eli meets grass!

Yes! Eli is sitting on is own!!!

Playin' with his bucket... by far his favorite toy!

So busy!

Our boy is 5-Months!

Where do I begin with this guy....? Well, he is just amazing! Being a mom is the greatest joy I could have ever imagined. I am certain that Nick would say the same about being Eli's Father.

Of course, being his parents, we think he is perfection. The guy has more personality that most adults I know... he has a smile that melts my heart every. single. time.

At the age of 5-Months he can hold a conversation (seriously!). He loves to play with his silly little bucket and all the shapes that go in it. He loves to read, talk on the phone, drool, go for walks, Web-Cam, sing, etc., etc., etc.

I could stare at him for hours. I find myself amazed and simply blown away at such a gift. It is hard not to have faith in something greater than us... when you are witness to such a miracle.

5-Month Milestones:

• Distinguishes between bold colors - CHECK! Eli LOVES Red!
• Plays with his hands and feet - CHECK! Eli is enamored with his own feet!

• Recognizes own name...we THINK so...
• Turns toward new sounds - CHECK!
• Rolls over in both directions...he did... and now he is over it. Not interested!

• Sits momentarily without support - CHECK! Eli sits with zero support!
• Mouths objects - CHECK! Eli mouths EVERYTHING!
• Separation anxiety may begin - Hmmm... not so much anxiety, but when he will stare me or Nick down until we take him from whoever is holding him.

Book Club Tuesday - The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Gossie, and Gossie & Gertie

This is definitely not a "Feel good" book. It looks at human behavior and how the every decision we make will impact every aspect of our lives, whether we like it or not…

Eli’s recommendation(s):

This is another book from Grandma & Grandpa Sundsmo. SO CUTE!!! The illustrations of Gertie are so cute! Amazing how a little duck can show such expression...

We found out the Gossie is a little series (Peddie, Boo-Boo, Ollie, etc.), so we got Gossie and Gertie next. Just as cute as Gossie! Eli can't wait to get the rest of them!

Happy Birthday to Me!

So, I turned the big 2-9 on the 24th. We had our fellow Garden Ave. friends over for some wine/beer, appetizers and some Wii. This week also marks 1-year since we bought the house!

Sammi & Rachelle "Cow Racing" on the Wii.

Miss Heidi is a spectator on the bottom left and Rachelle's husband Kyle is left to Nick.
Rachelle and Kyle are Eli's friend Jack's parents=). Sammi and Heidi are my 3-Day race partners.

Andy (standing) and Kathy live next door to us. Floyd (a.k.a. Flavio, a.k.a. Flavs) in the Blue shirt is Sammi's husband. Andy and Kathy's son Alek is another one of Eli's good friends. Floyd is our neighbor that Nick likes to talk home improvement with and also play hockey with in our basement with a ball of Aluminum foil.

This adorable couple is Gary and Heidi. These kids think they are going to be moving in a couple months... I am secretly going to start praying that their house doesn't sell... They will be missed!

Here is Nick and Floyd (Again, a.k.a. Flavio, a.k.a. Flavs) probably "Cow racing". That was the game of the night. It is quite entertaining if you haven't played it.

Nick surprised me with a Dairy Queen Birthday cake... he scored big time points! This is the best cake EVER! Especially when you have a sore throat!!!

Do I have to share this???

The North Shore

April 2009
Originally uploaded by randisundsmo

We spent the past weekend at Larsmont with Nick's family. Nick's parents have a place right on Lake Superior.... such a treat to go there. It was a cold and rainy weekend, so we didn't get outside time... we literally took a 5 minute walk. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful weekend!

The Roof! The Roof!

Yay! The new roof was done on Monday...

Before:

After!

Before:

After!

Book Club Tuesday - Vanishing Acts & Yummy Yucky

Another great book by Jodi Picoult! This book is about the fact that there is more to the story than the story...

Eli's recommendation:

This book is the cutest book ever! It goes through different items saying if they are Yummy or if they are Yucky... it's hilarious! My Grandma is upset that she didn't think of writing this book first... while it is so simple and yes, Grandma, anyone could have written it.... the illustrations are hilarious and adorable! Spaghetti is yummy, Worms are yucky.... Sandwiches are yummy, Sand is Yucky.... Love it!

Let the Home Renovations Begin!

2009 Checklist:

1. New Roof
2. Patio
3. New Windows... waiting on a bid to see how many we can afford!
4. Paint Shutters
5. Paint Exterior Doors
6. Paint Garage Door
7. Pretty-up the yard and landscaping...
8. Prime & Paint the stairway
9. Paint outside railing
10. Prime & Paint Basement
11. Prime & Paint our bedroom
12. Blinds ordered & installed in our bedroom
13. New light fixture in our bedroom
14. New light fixture in stairway
15. Blinds ordered & installed in Living Room & Dining Room
16. Blinds ordered & installed in Kitchen
Etc., Etc., Etc.

$33m Painting!

Lucian Freud's 'Benefits Supervisor Sleeping'

Wowsers! I need to get painting! If $33m was pocket change for me, I would buy this... I think it would be a great conversation piece!

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article3928558.ece

An Egg-cellent Easter!

Eli had his second roadtrip to Willmar for Easter! He is so excited for trips to Willmar in the summer when he can play at the Lake! (So is Mama!)

Saturday, Eli and I hung out with my Mom and Sister.... running around town, getting things for dinner that night, etc. Nick got to Willmar that afternoon. My Grandma & Grandpa McLaughlin joined us for dinner...so Eli got some nice one-on-one time with them.

Sunday we went to my Aunt Ruth & Uncle Roger's where Eli got to meet the rest of the crazy Belgiums! This is my mother's family that I spent much time with growing up.... my Aunts are like an extra set of mothers/sisters... They are a very important part of my life. While most of my Aunts have already met Eli a couple times, my cousins had not... so it was a great opportunity for Eli to meet all my younger cousins who are very dear to me. Of course, it was also a treat for my Grandpa to have time with his Great-Grandson as well.

Eli is so blessed to be surrounded by so many family and friends that adore him. It means so much to Nick and I that Eli is loved and adorded so much by so many!

Book Club Tuesday - Lucky, Jane Eyre & Good Night Moon

This is the third book of Alice Sebold's that I have read (I believe she just has the three). Anyhow.... It was good, but not my favorite of hers.

This is one of my all-time favorite books. I have read it before (more than 10 years ago) and decided it would be a good re-read. I love revisiting books I have enjoyed in the past, and this book is a perfect example. It is a gothic Cinderella story; and while it is a Cinderella story… it isn’t focused on marriage and living happily ever after. Rather, it is about the evolution of an orphaned girl who flourishes into an independent woman. No wonder this book was such a sensation 120+ years ago!

Eli's recommendation:

Eli LOVES this book...actually, he LOVES all of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd's books.

Book Club Tuesday - My Sister's Keeper & Toot Toot Beep Beep

Very thought provoking! I like how the author wrote from the view point of each character. I think that helped with relating to them... making it more of a challenge to know where one might stand if they were in this situation.

Eli's recommendation:

This book is so great! Right now books are all about great illustrations, and stories that get Mama and Daddy to make silly noises.... this book covers all those very important factors!

3-Day Update

Holy Cow, people! I am feeling the love!

Because of all my AWESOME Friends, Family and Co-workers; I have raised $1,080! That is OUTSTANDING!

I can't tell you all how grateful I am for the amazing generosity!

I am almost halfway to my goal of $2,300! (The minimum to participate in the 3-Day).

To see how my fundraising is going and/or to make a donation, please visit:http://www.the3day.org/goto/randisundsmo

Much Love,
Randi